Paper-cutting · Chinese Craft Stories

01 · Historical Records

As early as the Qing dynasty, papercutting was already widely popular among the people throughout the various parts of Yantai, Shandong Province. Judging from surviving late-Qing Yantai outlined-and-dyed papercuts, they predate the dot-colour papercuts of Yu County in Hebei by more than half a century.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Yantai papercutting has a long history and has long enjoyed a high reputation in China's folk art. Yantai papercutting has many styles, chiefly four types: single-colour papercutting, outlined-and-dyed papercutting, assembled-colour papercutting and backing-colour papercutting. Traditional single-colour papercuts are mostly cut from red paper — red but not gaudy, pleasing to the eye and durable in appeal. In outlined-and-dyed papercutting, ink lines are drawn over the cutting, and colour is then applied. Assembled-colour papercutting is transmitted mainly in Laizhou City: partial elements cut from various coloured papers are assembled into a complete work. Backing-colour papercutting, also called "paper-backing papercutting", is most famous in the wall flowers of Laizhou and Zhaoyuan. It is made by first hollow-cutting the basic image in black paper, then backing the hollowed-out parts with various coloured papers or dyed colouring; the work is then complete. Yantai papercutting is plain and natural, with a strongly spontaneous character; it is adept at using puns and other homophonic devices to express auspicious and festive meanings, and it has broad popular appeal.

Monochrome, painted, pieced and linings

Four types: monochrome in red, painted with ink outlines and colour washes, pieced in Laizhou, and lined — the so-called paper-lined cutting.

Cutting and lining in chense work

The process: the figure is first cut in black paper, then coloured papers or dyes are laid behind the openings; the wall flowers of Laizhou and Zhaoyuan are the most famous.

Qing painted-and-dyed cuttings

Surviving late-Qing painted-and-dyed cuttings from Yantai antedate the dotted-colour work of Yuxian in Hebei by more than half a century.

Punning auspicious motifs

The cutting is plain and free, fond of punning: a bat for blessing, a deer for emolument, pomegranate and grape for many sons.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Yantai papercutting has its main areas of transmission in Zhifu, Fushan, Laizhou, Zhaoyuan and Qixia: Laizhou excels in assembled-colour papercutting; the wall flowers of Zhaoyuan and Laizhou mostly use backing colour; and Qixia has produced inheritors such as Luan Shurong and Luan Shujuan, renowned for their "fineness" and "liveliness". Luan Shurong came from a papercutting family and learned the craft from her grandmother and mother from childhood. She could cut thirty-odd fine points on a single centimetre of paper, and was praised by the renowned papercut artist Qin Shijiao as "the finest in China".

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

It is a living fossil of national folk culture and can provide reference for research in folklore, sociology and other fields. At present, owing to changes in the times and advances in science and technology, the number of people able to appreciate and transmit this ancient art is dwindling, and with the successive passing of old artists some papercutting techniques have already been lost. Yantai papercutting is on the verge of extinction; its rescue and protection brook no delay. Luan Shurong (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): She came from a papercutting family and learned the craft from her grandmother and mother from childhood. She organically combined papercutting technique with Chinese painting methods, forming a distinctive style that is small and exquisite, fine and beautiful. She could cut thirty-odd fine points on a single centimetre of paper, and was praised by the renowned papercut artist Qin Shijiao as "the finest in China". Female, Han ethnicity, born in November 1964, died December 2008, native of Qixia City, Shandong Province. She was a representative inheritor of Papercutting (Yantai Papercutting), an intangible cultural heritage project of the third national-level batch. She practised for more than twenty years and received the title of one of the "Ten Golden Scissors of China" as well as the Chinese Papercut Art Heritage Award conferred by the Papercut Art Committee of the Chinese National Culture Promotion Association; her works are held in the collections of the National Art Museum of China, the Shanghai Art Museum and other institutions. Luan Shujuan (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Female, Han ethnicity, born in March 1956, native of Qixia City, Shandong Province. She began learning papercutting from her grandmother at the age of ten and has been engaged in papercutting research, creation and transmission ever since. Building on the traditional realistic style, she emphasises subjective expression. Her cut patterns are vividly lifelike, fine and exquisite, developing the "fineness" and "liveliness" characteristic of Yantai papercutting. She is a representative inheritor of Papercutting (Yantai Papercutting), an intangible cultural heritage project of the fifth national-level batch. Numerous works, including "Peace at the Olympics", "Dragon and Phoenix in Auspicious Union" and "Hundred Sons Celebrating Longevity", have been exhibited and have won awards. In 2011 she was awarded the title of Outstanding Rural Cultural Talent of Shandong Province by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture. She has long been devoted to the transmission of Yantai papercutting, and more than seventy inheritors from all over China have studied under her.

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 ↗