Paper-cutting · Chinese Craft Stories

01 · Historical Records

Nanjing paper cutting is mainly popular in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, and its surrounding areas. According to historical records such as Bai Suo Suo Yan (Trivial Talks of Baixia), written by Gan Xi during the Daoguang reign of the Qing dynasty, Nanjing paper cutting was already very popular in the early Ming dynasty. In the 1950s, the Nanjing folk paper-cutting production cooperative and the folk arts and crafts factory were established in succession, producing paper cuttings and exporting them abroad.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

The individual character of Nanjing paper cutting is extremely distinctive: it merges the boldness of northern paper cutting with the refinement of southern paper cutting. Flowers within flowers and themes within themes, delicacy within boldness, and spirit within artlessness give its artistic form an exceptional beauty. The traditional varieties of Nanjing paper cutting mainly include festive flowers (xihua), douxiang flowers, door-paper strips (menjian), and embroidery patterns such as shoe flowers. Among them, the "douxiang flower" cut-paper art is unique in all of China — a stroke of genius that fully expresses the distinctive style of Nanjing paper cutting and enriches the treasury of Chinese folk art. When creating, Nanjing paper cutters use no draft: once the first cut is made, the lines flow on unbroken, like a "single-stroke drawing", completed in one continuous effort. The craftsmanship is superb. In the course of its development, Nanjing paper cutting produced two outstanding artists in the history of modern Chinese paper cutting. One was Zhang Jigen, known as "Zhang the Magic Scissors", who possessed consummate skill and was adept at innovation. The other was Hu Jiazhi, who, past the age of one hundred, could still wield the scissors to create. With the changing times, Nanjing paper cutters fell into difficulty under the pressures of making a living; some were forced to change trades, and the work of others suffered. Nanjing paper cutting is generally made without a draft; once the first cut is made, the lines flow on unbroken, like a "single-stroke drawing", completed in one continuous effort. Its traditional varieties include festive flowers, douxiang flowers, door-paper strips, and embroidery patterns such as shoe flowers, among which the douxiang flower cut-paper art is unique in all of China — a highly inventive style of paper carving.

The douxianghua cut paper

The douxianghua ('incense-flower') cut paper is unique in China, a brilliant invention that epitomises Nanjing's own style.

The 'single-stroke' freehand cut

Nanjing cutters work without designs, the lines running on without a break like a single stroke, complete at one sitting.

Wedding flowers, door tags and shoe flowers

Traditional categories include wedding flowers, douxianghua, door tags and embroidery patterns including shoe flowers.

Zhang Jigen, the 'divine scissors', and Hu Jiazhi

Two outstanding artists emerged: Zhang Jigen, called 'divine scissors', and Hu Jiazhi, who still cut paper past her hundredth year.

The record in Baixia Suoyan

According to Gan Xi's Daoguang-era Baixia Suoyan and other sources, Nanjing cutting was already widespread in the early Ming.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Centered on the urban districts of Nanjing, Nanjing paper cutting spread to the surrounding areas of Jiangning, Liuhe, and Lishui. Its practitioners included both artists who set up stalls to sell sample designs and itinerant flower cutters who wandered the streets and lanes. In the 1950s, the Nanjing folk paper-cutting production cooperative and the folk arts and crafts factory were established in succession; paper cuttings were mass-produced and exported, and the cutters moved from individual work to collective production.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Under these circumstances, the number of Nanjing paper cutters has steadily declined. The inheritors are growing older, few successors are coming forward, the transmission of the craft is difficult, and the endangered situation is daily becoming more severe; urgent rescue and protection are needed. Zhang Fanglin (associated inheritor, official archival record): Male, of the Han nationality, born in April 1949, from Jintan County, Jiangsu Province. Research fellow-level senior industrial artist; master of industrial arts of Jiangsu Province. He has worked in paper cutting for more than fifty years, specializing in freehand cutting without a draft, and has produced a large number of paper-cut works. He participated in compiling the book Nanjing Paper Cutting. He is a representative inheritor of the paper cutting (Nanjing paper cutting) project of national-level intangible cultural heritage, third batch. Works such as Double Fish, Nine Fish, Douxiang Flowers: Butterflies in Love with Flowers, and The Owl have been exhibited many times in China and abroad and have won numerous awards, including the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Mountain Flower Award jointly sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Folk Literature and Art Association.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗