Yongchunzhizhihua
01 · Historical Records
In the Song dynasty, the output of paper-weave paintings increased; they not only satisfied local consumer demand but were also sold as far as the ports of the South Seas, becoming treasures in the cabinets of wealthy families. In the Ming dynasty, Yongchun paper-weave paintings had already become tribute gifts presented at court and rare collectibles treasured by high officials and nobles. A Qing-dynasty record states: “In Yongchun Prefecture in central Fujian, woven paintings are cut into pieces from lozenge-patterned letter paper, with five colors set between them, the warp and weft forming the patterns; landscapes, figures, flowers, and birds are all complete” (Yang Fuji, Menglan Suobi). The Palace Museum still treasures today the paper-weave painting “Twelve-Panel Screen with Imperial Poems by Emperor Gaozong”, dating from the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Paper-weave painting is a traditional folk art unique to Yongchun County, Fujian Province. “Woven painting: this is a special product of Yongchun.” Its method is to write characters or paint pictures on fine paper, cut them into long, thin strips, and interweave them warp-and-weft with pure white strips, then add colors. It is similar to what the ancients called yanhua dye paintings and xiangbi notebook sketch paintings. (Yongchun Prefecture Gazetteer, volume 11) Yongchun paper-weave painting is said to have originated at the end of the Sui and the beginning of the Tang dynasty; by the High Tang period, workshops specializing in paper-weave painting had already appeared locally, and many poets wrote poems in praise of Yongchun paper-weave painting. “In the Jiajing reign, among the property confiscated from the household of Yan Song, there were already woven-paper calligraphies and paintings.” According to historical records, the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors were very fond of paper-weave paintings. A paper-weave painting must pass through four principal process steps — painting, cutting, weaving, and mounting (biaobei) — before it can be completed. In production, the finished Chinese painting is first backed and mounted, then cut with a small knife into paper strips 1 to 2 millimeters wide to serve as the warp; white paper of the same specification is taken as the weft; the strips are re-woven by hand into the picture, and the work is completed only after final mounting and color retouching. The subjects of paper-weave painting are broad, including landscapes, flowers and birds, birds and beasts, historical figures, myths, and folk legends. Common forms include hall-hanging scrolls (zhongtang), hanging screens, and couplets; there are only four specifications, and custom sizes can be made where there is special need. The surface of a Yongchun paper-weave painting, with its warp and weft running crosswise and lengthwise, makes its images appear dimly and indistinctly; it has been treasured by common people and high officials alike throughout the ages. People have always liked to treat paper-weave paintings as artworks, hanging them in lively halls or using them to adorn quiet studies, or giving them as precious gifts to relatives and friends. In modern times, because paper-weave paintings had a limited market, some artisans, unable to make a living, were forced to change professions. If it is not protected in time, Yongchun paper-weave painting may well disappear completely.
Archival Record of the Process Steps
A paper-weave painting must pass through four principal process steps — painting, cutting, weaving, and mounting (biaobei) — before it can be completed.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Yongchun paper-weave painting circulates in Yongchun County, Fujian Province, and the neighboring Quanzhou, Dehua, and Anxi area, with the Yongchun County Artists Association serving as its protection unit. Yongchun formerly belonged to Quanzhou Prefecture; the “Yongchun Prefecture woven paintings of central Fujian” recorded in Qing-dynasty sources refers to this place. The technique is interdependent with the local handmade-paper and mounting trades, and the woven surface, with warps and wefts running crosswise and lengthwise, makes its images appear dimly and indistinctly.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Zhou Wenhu (related inheritor's official archival record): male, of Han ethnicity, born in March 1938; a native of Yongchun County, Fujian Province. On the basis of inheriting the traditional paper-weave painting technique, he carried out innovations: using squared patchwork formats, he wove a wide variety of patterns with broad subjects and rich colors, was able to skillfully weave double-sided designs, and produced hundred-meter-long scrolls. He has run training classes to pass the technique on to enthusiasts. He is a representative inheritor of Yongchun Paper-Weave Painting, a project of the fifth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage. His representative work “Hundred-Meter Paper-Weave Painting of One Hundred Tigers” set a Guinness World Record, and “Five Hundred Arhats in One Hundred Meters” won the silver award at the Third China International Folk Art Fair and Second China (Tianjin) Folk Art Masterpieces Exposition, organized by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhou Wenhu 05-2707
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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