Chinese Paper Cutting Art - Coursework Example

HINЕSЕ РАРЕR СUTTING АRT Student name: Tutor’s name: Institution: Date of submission Table of Content Introduction………………………………………………………………..3 Paper cutting in Northern China……………………………………………4 The application of paper cutting to traditional craft………………………...5 How paper cutting developed to overseas…………………………………..6 Paper cutting in Southern China………………………………………….....8 Comparison between Paper Cutting in Northern and Southern China………9 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………….10 Reference…………………………………………………………………….11 Appendix…………………………………………………………………….12 Introduction Paper cutting has been a salient form of traditional Chinese folk art since time immemorial. Its high aesthetic value has enabled it to remain one of the most treasured artistic works ever since it gained fame back in the 6th century (Xiao-qian, 2009, p.64). Initially, people used to majorly when worshiping gods and the ancestors, but as time passed, people gradually started using it in numerous fields which enabled it to become one of the most traditional Chinese folk art. It was popularly known as Jianzhi among the Chinese, and it was women who majorly engaged in it as they could use it during their leisure time. These women could then pass over the art to their young ones who later passed the knowledge on to another generation, and that is how it has been passed over to the present moment. This task, therefore, seeks to discuss paper cutting art in the northern part of China and the southern part and subsequently highlighting how it has evolved to what we can now see in this 21st century. Paper Cutting in Northern China In the north China, which includes west and north Shaanxi provinces, paper cutting was and still is very popular among the residents as they consider it critical in decoration the house. The door posts, windows, ceilings, chimneys, and walls are all decorated using this art of paper cutting and natives take pride in this because of its spellbinding beauty once it is completed. Its high aesthetic value which is substantially influenced by its great coloring assortment has made every native to consider using it all over the loess plateau (Gao et al. 2008, p.13). As time passed, people kept inventing more uses and kept and new ideas which led to producing better things out of the art. For instance, the new designs on clothes and shoes which significantly added beauty on them came as a result of the new ideas. Paper cutting was also very useful in decorating headbands and aprons among the northern people. Bundles and portieres equally got their beauty out of paper cutting. These patterns were all unique in away and each pattern had a significant role apart from their aesthetic value. Both regions had different patterns serving different purposes and the northern part, for that matter had various models which had specific significance. Tang dynasty which is considered as the most powerful emperor in the history of China had seven babies with hair knots which were twisted in a unique but attractive manner. It was used during several important occasions, and it was only with important purposes that it was used (Xiao-qian, 2009, p.31). The paper cut here was used to decorate the walls and it is still acknowledged that the walls painted with it became masterpieces. This never stopped as it kept gaining fame across Shaanxi plateau to date. It is therefore seen as a carrier of history to those who live in the contemporary China. It was also used in decorating doorways, ceilings, pillars, window flowers, fireplaces and doors among other notable uses. In all applications, people did acknowledge that they brought out great beauty although they also had some secondary roles like making of gods. The Application of Paper Cutting to Traditional Craft Besides being used in decorating the houses, they were also employed in decorating utensils, and the appliances became very presentable because of their aesthetic value. Jars and water pots were some of the utensils which were decorated with paper cuts. Candles, gift box, and furniture were also some of the things which got their decorations out of paper cutting and furniture which was decorated was very appealing and could be used both for domestic purposes and during important events (Gao et al. 2008, p.28). People gradually got attracted to the art, and it shifted from being used by women alone to even men as they were equally attracted by the quality of the products. Potteries, cakes, and mirrors were also among the products of the art, and since it had taken over the entire China stretching to the south, it became the primary activity which besides contributing towards the country’s beautification, helped in improving the economy of China. Also, there were bags of all sizes which could be used for different purposes and different events which emerged out of the artistic work of paper cutting together with hats and shoes. Apart from domestic purposes, paper cutting also played a very crucial during events and major ceremonies because of its value. Major events were marked with paper cutting, and this was seen during the ancestor worship days which were regarded with high respect in China. This, therefore, gave paper cutting an exceptional value considering the high opinion natives held on worshiping the ancestors (WANG and SUN, 2010, p.38). Other crucial occasions which saw the residents using the art was dragon boat festivals which have since remained an important festival in China. Apart from dragon boat festival, there was spring festival which is equally considered a paramount festival in the land. It is agreeable that the events and festivals which called for the use of paper cutting were those which people accorded very high respect and had prominent roles during those times and even now that several years have passed their significance is still very great. In northern China, the art of paper cutting was popular among those who came from peasant families and homemakers. The homemakers mostly did the art during their leisure time. It was tough to find a housewife who lacked knowledge concerning decorating items with paper cuts since it slowly flourished in the entire northern part. This art could later be passed on from mothers to their children who spent time with them as they could be taught how it is done. The areas which were highly inherited was the standard parts of the northern regions, and it was crystal clear that even though some of the artistic works later emerged to overtake paper cutting, it became the main art for quite a long time bringing together both rich and the poor in the land of China (Xiao-qian, 2009, p.51). Apart from bringing together people from across different social classes, it also brought people from different age brackets as both the adults and children were engaged in the art. How Paper Cutting Developed to Overseas The collections of paper cutting products were available in Lu Xun Academy, which is in Yenan by the year 1940. Its greatness gradually found ways into learning institutions where learners could easily access the different products which served different purposes. Its educational value meant it was equally the carrier of culture and history and this massively benefited education sector since China is a country which always treats history with great respect (WANG and SUN, 2010, p.87). The role of paper cutting, therefore, shifted from merely an item of beauty to a question of education and was even incorporated in the syllabus which enabled it to gain fame even more because it gradually reached the learners from outside China to its neighboring countries and later to the entire world. When a collection is found in a school. This means the memory is likely to remain forever, and that is why the memory paper cutting is likely to stay in as long as the world still exists and will be acquired by children of every generation since it will keep on being passed from one generation to the other. In schools, paper cutting has been affiliated with several subjects which have enabled it to remain a very popular area of education in the entire China. The need to keep informing the subsequent generations has allowed it to be taught at most levels of education including at higher education. Philosophy is among the subjects where paper cutting is being taught both in China and in some other countries because of the close relationship between theory and paper cutting. Another issue is history which is undoubtedly connected with paper cutting as it is the only issue which can take the learners back to those days when paper cutting started and how far it has evolved to what we now have (Fenollosa, 2007, p.76). This makes a paramount area to any student who wishes to know the origin of paper cutting and enables them to appreciate paper cutting as well since it also carries how people natives have used paper cutting in various occasions and events since time immemorial. It has also been taught in sociology mainly concentrating on its role in bringing people together and therefore enhancing peace and harmony among the natives. Another area is anthropology which has equally been considered an important subject in history of China for quite an extended period. Comparison between Paper Cutting in Northern and Southern China The features of paper cutting in both northern and southern regions have been marked with significant differences with the northern being considered mainly as rural areas. It has been characterized by innocence, abstract and imaginative. The products are directly cut with scissors but still appear appealing and great to see, and this is justifiable by the fact that people still like them. The knowledge of paper cutting spontaneously led to the emergence of kites which have also been treasured so much by Chinese and they originated over 200 years ago in Shangdong province. Kites came about as a result of creative human beings who were obsessed with the desire to fly and in another account; Han Xin invented the kites for military purposes. It was seen as an activity people could engage in during leisure and with time, it evolved into what we now see it as an outdoor activity to exercise the body (Heyenga, 2011, p.89). It soon spread to neighboring countries as Korea where it was used in New Year festivals and Japan where it was employed in religious festivals. There were four steps which were involved in kite making which included constructing the bamboo skeleton followed by pasting on paper or silk and then painting it and finally launching it. It was regarded a tandem of insects, animals, frogs, butterflies, fish and birds. In southern regions which are associated with towns and cities, the paper cuts were more figurative and elegant in a way (Fenollosa, 2007, p.45). They were very realistic and highly commercial. They are very decorative and usually cut with knife contrary to the northern part which is cut with scissors. Paper cutting in the southern part of China was highly popular among homemakers, and they would pass the knowledge to their children. This is how the art of paper cutting reached this 21st century as the children would also pass it to another generation upon becoming adults and the chain kept on flowing from one generation to another. The Southern part of China soon become a center of focus in most parts of the country as paper cutting art enabled it to be studied in different subjects such as sociology, history, and aesthetics among others. Paper cutting was initially practiced in southern China for leisure purposes, but some gained a prominent role as people realized they could earn a living out of it. As a result of the hard work, a collection of paper cutting was availed in Peking Central Institute of Fine Art by the year 1949. There was a need for learners from within China and outside China to learn about paper cutting and therefore there was high demand to produce more items to be used in the education sector. Learning institutions in overseas mainly required more articles and this demonstrated the birth of knowledge in ancient craft. Even with the changing seasons and years, paper cutting became a primary source of knowledge and its aesthetic value gradually became acknowledged in the whole world. The southern parts of China for that matter became very successful in crafts, and this led to improvement in the economy as well as decorating the entire region as most important events were decorated with products from paper cutting. Major occasions like spring festivals were marked colorful by so introducing paper cutting to the occasions (Heyenga, 2011, p.64). It was also during this period when witch-crafty had flourished in China, and it became impossible to leave out paper cutting in witchcraft. This shows how rough paper cutting was in China, and its significance was also during numerous god worshiping ceremonies which were held locally to appease gods in case of any impending danger or in the event of any predicament which was beyond human control. Paper cutting was also used on the occasions when people gathered to pray for happiness or safety. Conclusion In conclusion, paper cutting has been a great carrier of Chinese history for a very long time and due to its high aesthetics value, people still acknowledge it as one of the most significant forms of traditional Chinese folk art to have survived the test of time even with the emergence of new ideas in folk art. The art of paper cutting has evolved to what we can now see in the present China and this hard work deserves merit since China has been outstanding in this field for quite a long time. References Fenollosa, E., 2007. Epochs of Chinese and Japanese Art: An Outline History of East Asiatic Design. Stone Bridge Press, Inc.. Gao, L., Peng, D., Liu, X. and Yu, S., 2008, November. Digital aided technology research on Chinese traditional art design-case for paper-cut. In Computer-Aided Industrial Design and Conceptuasl Design, 2008. CAID/CD 2008. 9th International Conference on (pp. 1349-1354). IEEE. Heyenga, L. ed., 2011. Paper Cutting Book: Contemporary Artists, Timeless Craft. Chronicle books. Li, Y., Yu, J., Ma, K.L. and Shi, J., 2007. 3D paper‐cut modeling and animation. Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds, 18(4‐5), pp.395-403. WANG, L.X. and SUN, X.W., 2010. Representations of Chinese Paper-cutting on the Modern Cases and Bags [J]. Leather Science and Engineering, 4, p.018. Xiao-qian, L.I.U., 2009. On the Perception of Chinese Folk Paper-cut. Hunan Vocational College for Nationalities, 2, p.013. Appendix Some of the masterpieces of paper cutting Read More

The Application of Paper Cutting to Traditional Craft Besides being used in decorating the houses, they were also employed in decorating utensils, and the appliances became very presentable because of their aesthetic value. Jars and water pots were some of the utensils which were decorated with paper cuts. Candles, gift box, and furniture were also some of the things which got their decorations out of paper cutting and furniture which was decorated was very appealing and could be used both for domestic purposes and during important events (Gao et al. 2008, p.28).

People gradually got attracted to the art, and it shifted from being used by women alone to even men as they were equally attracted by the quality of the products. Potteries, cakes, and mirrors were also among the products of the art, and since it had taken over the entire China stretching to the south, it became the primary activity which besides contributing towards the country’s beautification, helped in improving the economy of China. Also, there were bags of all sizes which could be used for different purposes and different events which emerged out of the artistic work of paper cutting together with hats and shoes.

Apart from domestic purposes, paper cutting also played a very crucial during events and major ceremonies because of its value. Major events were marked with paper cutting, and this was seen during the ancestor worship days which were regarded with high respect in China. This, therefore, gave paper cutting an exceptional value considering the high opinion natives held on worshiping the ancestors (WANG and SUN, 2010, p.38). Other crucial occasions which saw the residents using the art was dragon boat festivals which have since remained an important festival in China.

Apart from dragon boat festival, there was spring festival which is equally considered a paramount festival in the land. It is agreeable that the events and festivals which called for the use of paper cutting were those which people accorded very high respect and had prominent roles during those times and even now that several years have passed their significance is still very great. In northern China, the art of paper cutting was popular among those who came from peasant families and homemakers.

The homemakers mostly did the art during their leisure time. It was tough to find a housewife who lacked knowledge concerning decorating items with paper cuts since it slowly flourished in the entire northern part. This art could later be passed on from mothers to their children who spent time with them as they could be taught how it is done. The areas which were highly inherited was the standard parts of the northern regions, and it was crystal clear that even though some of the artistic works later emerged to overtake paper cutting, it became the main art for quite a long time bringing together both rich and the poor in the land of China (Xiao-qian, 2009, p.51). Apart from bringing together people from across different social classes, it also brought people from different age brackets as both the adults and children were engaged in the art.

How Paper Cutting Developed to Overseas The collections of paper cutting products were available in Lu Xun Academy, which is in Yenan by the year 1940. Its greatness gradually found ways into learning institutions where learners could easily access the different products which served different purposes. Its educational value meant it was equally the carrier of culture and history and this massively benefited education sector since China is a country which always treats history with great respect (WANG and SUN, 2010, p.87). The role of paper cutting, therefore, shifted from merely an item of beauty to a question of education and was even incorporated in the syllabus which enabled it to gain fame even more because it gradually reached the learners from outside China to its neighboring countries and later to the entire world.

When a collection is found in a school.

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