Paper-cut "The tree of life with "baby with coiled hair" and a pair of tigers"

Traditional folk paper-cut "Water vase for the tree of life"

    As a cultural carrier of the original Chinese philosophy, paper- cut is embodied in all aspects of folk custom and culture. They are in the forms of window decoration; border flower for brick bed; cave-vault flower; totem door god; daily life appliance such as vat and jar flower, porcelain decorations; dress and adornment like embroidery, hat decoration, shoe flower, pillow case and undergarment decorative patterns; and for wedding ceremony; memorial service; birthday celebration, etc. There are also pillow case with paper-cut patterns featuring tiger, doll or fish, symbolic of birth from totem mother's body; and "Yin-yang fish;" "Fish biting lotus;  Lotus bearing seeds;" for marriage and multiplication; "The tree of life" symbolizing eternity of spirit and continuation of life at funeral and burial ceremonies; holiday paper-cut "A buckled bowl;  Rat  bit open the sky;" indicating that when heaven and earth connect, all things come back to life, propagation of children and harvesting crops. In the first lunar month, to welcome the beginning of spring ploughing, paper- cut "Spring cow" is pasted on the door for safeguard; at Pure Brightness festival, paper-cut "Futuo'" is placed on the ancestor's tomb (Manchuria); and in the fifth Lunar month, on the Dragon Boat festival, people use "Love tiger" paper-cut as a talisman to drive away vicious spirit and disease. In folk customs, there are "Baby with coiled hair" and a variety of its transformed figures as patron saint and propagation fairy; Miao ethnic group's legendary figures paper-cut on the "pounding cows" altar for the ancestors; and paper-cut featuring exorcist figures and festivities, etc.

    Folk paper-cut is a living fossil of art history. The cultural heritage it carries corresponds with the cultural antiques unearthed from the same area and with the historical documentation and legendary stories. For example, one of the three influential tribes in ancient history is Miao Man group inhabited along the Yangtze River. About 4500 years ago, Miao strode northward and waged a war with Huaxia tribal group along the Yellow River basin. After being defeated, they retreated to live in the enclosed southwest mountain area. Today's Miao and Yao ethnic groups in Yunnan Province are their descendants. Without a written language, Miao ethnic group had no documentation other than verbal legendary stories. However, the living paper-cut of their national dress vividly depicts the legendary story from the birth of Miao ethnic group to the migration journey after the battle. It is like a complete ancient history book of Miao ethnic group. And the paper-cut patterns of the embroidery dress still popular along the Yellow River today is like a history book of the ancient totem culture, displaying totem idols from images of animal totem; to half animal, half human; and humanized totem.

    Chinese folk paper-cut embodies a complete system of philosophy, which was not based on the philosophy of Confucianism, Taoism or other schools of thought. It was based on the original Chinese philosophy and art system from prehistorical time. Some paper-cut designs fully conformed to the patterns on the painted pottery from prehistorical time that it helped bring out the meaning of silent symbols. For example, "A pair of fish with human faces" (on painted pottery from 6000-year-old Yangshao culture) was not a natural fish. It was a cultural code in prehistorical philosophy. The same logic applies to Chinese New Year paper-cut "A buckled bowl;" and "An unbuckled bowl with a rat coming out;" and "the rat bites open the sky." In China, rat is the god of proliferation. "The rat bites open the sky" symbolizes the unity of yin-yang and propagation in the universe. Other examples like to surpass time and space in a feature painting; drawing two eyes on a profile based on conceptual views; and a bowl with an arc top and a flat bottom to symbolize the round sky and square earth; are all featured art displays of the original Chinese philosophy.

    With a vast territory and multi-ethnic population, Chinese folk paper-cut bears distinct national and geographical features. In art style, northern China is more straightforward, unconstraint, and broad minded; while in the south, it is more exquisite and delicate, full of delight and witty. From the creators, the rural female folk artists use only a pair of scissors and paper to convey their conceptual figures and color effect which surpass time and space; while male-dominant career artists make paper carvings with superb delicacy and graciousness in a more realistic style and art language. From the functionality in social life, paper-cut for embroidery patterns are given more emphasis on the outline for decorativeness; while cave window decoration gives more delicacy to the inner pattern to let in light. I marveled at the delicacy of the window paper-cuts in Jiao Dong area that had lines as fine as gossamer. In general art style, each art work brings out an unique, personal touch of the author. Shaanxi Xunyi female artist Ku Shulan's multi-layer, multi-color paper-cut composite is an elegant, huge piece of art work; Hebei Wei County career folk artist Wang Laoshang created a singular paper carving series featuring theatrical figures, each with distinguished personality, clear-cut outline and in beautiful colors.

    The tools and raw materials used by Chinese women folk artists are a pair of scissors, a needle and a piece of rough paper. However, over 2000 years in the course of history, they've created an art with unique features and powerful expressiveness which is matchless in many ways. The simplicity of the tools and the raw materials they used; the implication these art works convey; the massive participation and the functional features; all contribute to its special value. Even in remote mountain areas where paper supply is scarce, paper-cut still plays an active role in custom festivities including holiday and birthday celebrations; wedding and memorial services; residential building decorations and social custom activities.

    In Xingjiang Tulufan Asitana tomb excavated five paper-cuts originated in the 5th century AC, North and South dynasties. They were pairing monkeys, sheep, deer and butterflies and ball flowers. 1500 years later, the same paper-cut design is still very popular along the Silk Road in Gansu and Shaanxi Province.

    Excavated from the Tang tombs in Xingjiang Tulufan Asitana were seven hand-in-hand "Baby with coiled hair" paper-cuts lying on a paper incarnation of the owner. Using paper folding figure in place of absent body of military generals who died in battle field was meant to revive the spirit of the dead. In rural areas of Shaanxi Baishui and Peng Ya, folk custom paper-cut still uses this "Baby with coiled hair" in a row holding hands to dispel bad luck and cure disease, with the exact same cultural implication and social function as that of over a thousand years ago.

    Paper-cut also serves as a way to identify cultural characteristics of various ethnic groups. Miao ethnic group's paper-cut told the story of their totem ancestor, the butterfly mother changed from a maple tree, and paired with the water bubble to give birth to Jiang Yang and Lei Gong, along with the dragon, the tiger, the snake, the elephant, the buffalo and the centipede. After a flood, Jiang Yang married his sister and started human propagation. Xinjiang Uygur ethnic group's paper pattern for embroidery is a composite of the tree of life and the sun; or a water jar or a bottle as the transformed tree of life; in central Shaanxi old Qiang ethnic group cultural birthplace, embroidery patterns are tiger totem pillow cases, tiger head shoes and undergarments, and tiger vests to keep down the five poisonous.

    The skills and techniques in folk art paper-cut are shown in various ways. In rural northern China which is long time enclosed but self-sufficient, small-scale peasant economy prevails, women make paper-cut for a life time with nothing but a pair of scissors and raw paper. Their knowledge and skills in the art of paper-cut perfected through practice. From small window flowers to large- scale art works of 5-6-meter long, without a draft, they pick up a pair of scissors and start cutting at will, showing great confidence and skills as masters of art. Along southeast of the Yangtze River, capitalist commodity economy first started in the Southern Song Dynasty which brought about the town culture and career folk artists. To meet the need of the newly emerged folk customs, commodity market system and town-culture aesthetics, folk art grew into a style of multi-layer paper engraving art with highly skilled carving and color painting techniques. Highly talented art masters and artists from all backgrounds have created a wide range of art works such as mountains and waters; gardens and courtyards, birds and flowers, grass and insects, and human figures. These quintessential art works with true-to-life depictions of the subjects are different from those made by rural women in north China.

    Among all Chinese folk paper-cut, the most popular and largely embedded in folk customs are dragon light origami for festivals; paper-cutting and origami for funeral and memorial services; exorcist dance and plays; and Miao ethnic group's "pounding cow" ceremony to worship ancestors.

    As a historical cultural heritage, folk paper-cut still exists today but only in China and Mexico. It has basically disappeared from other parts of the world. In Mexico, only the origami to worship ancestors, similar to China's Pure Brightness Day, is still popular. When I was on a research tour in France in early 1980s, the paper-cut still available there were from professional artists and art masters. The old-time widely participated folk paper-cut was all history. Among the 40 folk custom museums I visited, there were only two folk paper-cuts kept in the save at a small town museum near Orleans. They were not displayed for fear of getting damaged. The same situation was true in other countries. Paper-cut by professional artists are still around, but no more folk paper-cut. Of the four countries in the world whose civilizations date to ancient times, China is the only one that still actively practices the folk art of paper-cutting, which is now a major cultural heritage of the mankind; and its continued preservation demands urgent attention.