Window Papercutting It is a type of papercutting work pasted on windows as an ornament. It is widely spread in the north of China, where the farmers' houses are mostly windowed with wooden squares. There are vertical squares, rectangular squares and geometrically patterned squares on which a layer of white leather paper is pasted. On the occasions of Spring Festival and the other holidays the leather paper is replaced and new paper-cutting work is pasted instead as a symbol of bidding farewell to the old year and embracing the new. The themes of the window paper-cutting include the fauna and flora, figurines as well as a series of theatrical tales. Gate Label
It is also called "hanging label", "hanging money", etc. It hangs on the gatesills. It takes the form of flag with big head, twined size and lower part as tassel. It is engraved on red paper as well as multicolored paper. Its patterns are geometrical or embedded with figures, flowers, phoenix, dragons and the other propitious characters. When hung up, the gate label must be hung in series. Festive Papercutting It is a kind of paper-cutting artifact which is used to decorate the household appliances and indoor furniture. It is laid out on the teapot, soap box, basin, and dressing mirror. The themes of happy paper -cutting imply auspiciousness and happiness. It is colored in scarlet red. It takes the form of circle , rectangle, peach, pomegranate together with propitious patterns. Gift Papercutting It is a type of paper cutting artifact which is attached to cake, birthday noodle and egg. Gift paper cutting assumes patterns implying propitiousness and happiness. In Shandong Province, people attach it onto the "happy egg" on the occasion of celebrating a birth of a child baby. In the countryside of Fujian Province, they exchange birthday gifts on which there are tortoise patterns symbolic of longevity. There are tortoise-shaped cake and tortoise-patterned paper cutting works. Shoe Papercutting
It is a kind of paper cutting artifact which serves as the base pattern for shoe embroidery. It is categorized into three forms. The first type is cut into a bundle of flowers which are embroidered on the head of shoe. The second type is cut into a shape of crescent moon, which is matched to the size of the shoe vamp. The third type is the part which extends along the two ends. Its layout is sparse, with themes of flora and fauna, birds, etc. Some shoe paper cutting works are cut in part instead of being engraved. This technique is called "lurking cut" which predicts the embroidery techniques: doubled needling and color changing. Douxiang Papercutting
It is a type of color doubling paper cutting artifact which is mainly used as decoration on the occasion of sacrificing rituals. The incense burned for sacrificing is made into thin bars or thick bars and entangled into various shapes The incense needs a concave base and bamboo piece to be upheld. Its themes vary from legendary characters to spirits. It is engraved on the wax polished paper. Papercutting Flower Bundle
It is a type of layout pattern for paper cutting. It takes a form of a circle-shaped flower with four even sizes. This decorating pattern has its merit. The paper can be folded up and cut into a flower bundle in four even sides. Papercutting Flag
It is a type of paper cutting artifact which is used in rituals. As the ancient customs traced back to the Song Dynasty show, the witch brandishes the paper cutting flag to exorcise ghosts and exterminate disaster. This flag is also used in funerals. On the first anniversary of one's death, the flag is used to recover his soul. Ansai Papercutting
It is popular in Ansai, Shaanxi Province. One type is used to decorate the indoor on the occasion of the Spring Festival with its main theme of propitiousness by assuming the shapes of flying bird, fauna and flora, domesticated animals, lion, tiger, etc. The second type is used to decorate the nuptial bedroom with the patterns of pomegranate and peony. The third type is used as the base pattern for embroidery and cloth. The fourth type is used in the superstitious rituals, which assumes the forms of wealth spirit, furnace spirit, spirit in charge of cuisine, etc. East Sha'anxi Papercutting
It is popular in the areas of Qingyang and Pingliang, Gansu Province. It enjoys a long history and assumes a style of coarseness and exaggeration. In the eastern part, the paper cutting is characterized by primitiveness and rusticit. In the middle, it is characterized by the orderliness and elegance. In the part on the banks of the upper Jing River, its style is simplicity and brightness. Its themes run the gamut of flying birds and walking animals, folklores, dramatic characters and flowers of four seasons. Fushan Papercutting
Fushan, Shanxi Province, enjoys the fame of "homeland of papercutting." It is wide spread in the county and popular in the south of Shanxi. It takes the form of window papercutting, gift paper-cutting , etc., among which the most interesting is the form called "bridge paper-cutting", a series of chained papercuttings. Fushan papercutting is widely used in the making of clothing, pillows, belly-covers, hat and shoes, and embroidery base pattern for handkerchief, figurines on the occasion of a funeral. Gaomi Papercutting It is popular in Gaomi, Shandong Province and used as window and gate ornaments, box and case, and cupboard. It is directly cut on paper without draft pattern. It is characterized by the image in saw- toothed shape and straight line. Binzhou Papercutting 
It is popular in Huiming Prefecture, Shandong Province and used as window ornament and embroidery pattern. It is more coarse than that of Jiaodong. It is characterized by folded figurine. Wei County Papercutting
It is popular in Wei County, Hebei Province. It is famous for its window ornaments, of which Tianpiliang is the earliest form. This ornament is made by drawing and dyeing pictures on the thin chip. Then a type of water-printed woodblock window papercutting, originated in Wuqiang County in the same province, drew upon this feature in color and transparency and came to unite with Shuipiliang window paper-cutting, which is characterized by the engraving instead of writing. Thus the distinctive feature of Wei County paper-cutting came into being. Nanjing Papercutting
This type of paper-cutting is famous for its happy flower and Douxiang flower types. On the occasions of wedding and celebrations, Nanjingers like to decorate the dowry with paper-cutting artifacts made from scarlet red paper. Its pattern is filled up with propitious illustrations according to need and particular paper shapes. There are flower-in-flower, theme-in-theme and subtlety-in-brevity patterns. Deftness is highlighted in the naivety. The themes of Douxiang paper-cutting range from dramatic tales, historical legends, folklores to propitious patterns and flowers. Pi County Papercutting
It is widely spread in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, particularly in Pi County. Its first type is colorful gate label. This type of papercutting is mainly used for decorating the windows. Its themes run the gamut of laboring scenes, domesticated animals, folklores, historical tales, etc. Foshan Papercutting It is a type of folk paper-cutting in Foshan, Guangdong Province. It was in vogue in the Song Dynasty, and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is made by a way of scissor cutting, carving, chiseling, printing, writing, etc. The materials used are pure-color paper, copper, golden color paper, etc. It is cut and engraved with knife, scissors and copper utensil. A century ago, Foshan paper-cutting artifact served as the draft for architecture and furniture engraving. Later on it served as indoor decoration. Taijiang Papercutting
It is a type of Miao Nationality paper-cutting in Taijiang, Guizhou Province. It acts as the embroidery draft for decorating sleeve, girdle and hat. Though its themes are also dragon and phoenix, and peony, it is quietly distinguished from that of Han Nationality. Especially its papercutting for decoration sleeve is embroidered by needle and characterized by its fineness in roughness. |