Chinese Paper Cutting Crafts

History

• Jian zhi, or Chinese paper cutting, began during the first century in China shortly after the invention of paper. Jian zhi was an art used by royalty, as paper was a rare commodity at the time, although jian zhi eventually filtered down to ordinary people and adorned doors and windows, especially during festivals and family celebrations, or simply for good luck.

  Those who could afford jian zhi bought from professional paper cutters. Although most professional paper cutters were men, it became a female profession in the rural areas, and women had to know jian zhi before marriage. Today, jian zhi is still popular in the Chinese countryside and often used in weddings as well as festivals.

  At the beginning of the seventh century, paper cutting became a popular art form used to decorate homes and spread to other countries around the 14th century. As artisans became proficient in paper cutting, the designs become more and more intricate with some artisans creating their own designs.

Paper Cutting

• The paper of choice is Xuan paper, which is paper made from fibers of the pine tree. Paper cutting often incorporated brightly colored paper, with red being the favorite, or foil in designs. Designs included depictions of ordinary family life or decorated homes during various festivals. In simple designs, artisans folded paper, much as children today fold paper to create snowflakes, and then cut into the paper with scissors.

  Jian zhi also incorporates sculpting in paper cutting when creating two- or three-dimensional art by using several or many pieces of Xuan paper and layering it. Using a sharp knife, the artisan sculpts thin delicate lines into the papers. Scissors are not capable of producing the thin lines necessary for intricate and complicated designs, especially when cutting into several pieces of paper. Simple symmetrical designs utilize scissors with cuts made into folded paper.

Adding Multiple Colors

• The incorporation of water color aids in applying multicolored designs in Chinese paper cutting. Applying water color to the cut designs adds color to the various shapes to resemble a painting. Other methods of adding color use multiple layers of different-colored paper. One cut resembles the background and other colored cut paper resembles the theme of the design, such as depictions of deities or good luck symbols.

Evolution of Designs

• Jian zhi fell out of favor for about 80 years from 1900 to 1980. Since 1980, crafts people and artisans rediscovered the art and utilized some of the ancient techniques into modern art. Instead of themes of family or deities, modern artisans create paper cut designs from photos or from the artist's imagination.

  Although the availability of machines aids in paper cutting, many modern artists still prefer the ancient ways of jian zhi, by cutting intricate designs by hand.