Paper-cutting · Chinese Craft Stories

01 · Historical Records

Xiantao, formerly known as Mianyang, lies in the heart of the Jianghan Plain; according to the Mianyang County Gazetteer, Mianyang paper cutting had already developed its own stylistic characteristics by the late Ming and early Qing period, distinguished by balanced compositions and fine carving. Hu Jingxian was born in August 1926 in Xiantao City; at the age of sixteen he learned carved-flower paper cutting from Zhao Bingyang, a master from his hometown, and in 1956 joined the Xiantao Town Carving Craft Cooperative of Mianyang County, taking part in the production of export paper-cut products; over several decades the patterns he designed and carved were too numerous to count, and past the age of eighty he still persisted in carving paper patterns and walked the streets selling them. In the 1960s and 1970s the carving craft cooperatives closed, and the production and sale of Xiantao carved-flower paper cutting were interrupted for a time.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Xiantao carved-flower paper cutting, also known as "Mianyang carved-flower paper cutting," is transmitted in the area of Xiantao City, Hubei, and has a long history of development. According to the Mianyang County Gazetteer, Mianyang paper cutting had already developed its own stylistic characteristics by the late Ming and early Qing period, distinguished by balanced compositions and fine carving. When making Xiantao carved-flower paper cutting, the artist uses a graver and white paper on a wax tray to carve embroidery patterns commonly known as "patterns" (huayangzi); during carving, ten to twenty sheets of white paper are generally stacked together. The gravers are mostly adapted from alarm-clock mainsprings and surgical blades, while the wax tray consists of a mixture of rapeseed oil, white wax, and incense-burner ash held in a small round wooden dish. The "patterns" carved by artists are mostly auspicious and festive designs such as "magpies perched on plum blossom," "dragon and phoenix bringing auspiciousness," "mandarin ducks playing in water," "goldfish sporting among lotus," "deer and crane in spring together," "carp leaping over the dragon gate," and "lion rolling an embroidered ball"; they are generally used as embroidery patterns for shoes, insoles, hats, pillows, bibs, bed valances, bed curtains, and door curtains. Xiantao carved-flower paper cutting has complex yet complete compositions, clear contrasts between black and white, solid and void, fluent and neat knife work, fine and rigorous pogong (fine cutting), elegant and even dots and strokes, relaxed and rounded lines, and full, balanced patterns; combining realism with freehand expression, and distortion without loss of the original form, it is rich in artistic language and strongly decorative, occupying a unique place among folk paper cutting. In the 1960s and 1970s Xiantao carved-flower paper cutting suffered a severe blow, and the carving craft cooperatives closed.

Knives made from clock springs and scalpels

Knives are reworked from alarm-clock springs and scalpels, the wax pad is a dish of rapeseed oil, paraffin and incense ash, and ten to twenty sheets are carved at once.

Magpie-on-plum and dragon-and-phoenix patterns

The patterns cut are mostly auspicious: magpie on plum, dragon and phoenix, mandarin ducks, goldfish among lotus, deer and crane, carp leaping the dragon gate, lion with embroidered ball.

Openwork splitting

Hu Jingxian's lines are fluent and his openwork rigorous; his pieces combine relief and intaglio, concise and fine, full and balanced in pattern.

Patterns serving embroidery

The carving was first a draft for embroidery: white-paper patterns are pasted to cloth as a guide, supplying the motifs for shoes, pillow ends, bibs and bed curtains.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Xiantao carved-flower paper cutting is mainly distributed in the urban area of Xiantao City and the surrounding townships; most artists treat carving as a sideline, going from street to street at markets and festival times to sell patterns for women to embroider onto shoes, insoles, hats, pillows, bibs, and bed curtains; Hu Jingxian passed his skills on to his two sons and taught at local primary schools on many occasions.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

In recent years, under the influence of the market economy, traditional folk culture has been neglected, and a break in transmission has appeared in Xiantao carved-flower paper cutting; this "unique craft" faces the danger of dying out entirely and urgently needs protection. Hu Jingxian (recorded in the official inheritor archive): At the age of sixteen he learned carved-flower paper cutting from Zhao Bingyang, a master from his hometown, and in 1956 joined the Xiantao Town Carving Craft Cooperative in Mianyang County (present-day Xiantao City), taking part in the production of export paper-cut products. Through long years of practice his craft became fully mature: the lines of his paper cuts flow smoothly, and his pogong (fine cutting) and open-section work is rigorous; his works combine positive and negative carving, with concise and delicate expressive technique. Over several decades, the patterns he designed and carved were too numerous to count. Past the age of eighty he still persisted in carving paper patterns, walking the streets to sell them. Attentive to the transmission of Xiantao carved-flower paper cutting, he passed his skills not only to his two sons but also taught at local primary schools on many occasions. Male, Han ethnicity, born in August 1926, died in May 2011, from Xiantao City, Hubei Province. He was a representative inheritor of the third national-level batch of the intangible cultural heritage project Paper Cutting (Xiantao Carved-Flower Paper Cutting).

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 ↗