Paper cut

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: paper cut

Applicant: Ju county, Shandong Province

Project No.: 315

Project No.: Ⅶ - 16

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Shandong Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Ju county, Shandong Province

Protection unit: Juxian Cultural Center

Introduction to paper cutting (Juxian guomenjian)

Applicant: Ju county, Shandong Province

Since ancient times, there has been the custom of pasting door notes during the Spring Festival in Ju county, Shandong Province, which has been handed down to the present day with a very long history. Juxian guomenjian is an excellent folk art style loved by the local people, and it is the representative work of Judi paper-cut art. Its carving technology has gradually formed a relatively fixed mode through the inheritance of folk artists in past dynasties. Before the Qing Dynasty, there were only spikes and patterns on the cross door paper, which was relatively simple to make. Since the early years of the Republic of China, Guomen paper has been made by folk artists according to the template. Now, the production of cross door paper is based on the principle of "borrowing the past and opening the present". First, design the pattern according to the set size, and then carve the template with kraft paper, cardboard, thick paper or bag skin. Then, according to the lines of the pattern, find a craftsman to make all kinds of knives, and make a wax tray with wood, paraffin and sawdust. Cut the colored paper according to the size, put the template on the colored paper, and finally put it on the wax tray This kind of cutting tool is used to carve, sometimes it is also used to knock the cutting tool with a mallet. The processing of the door notes can be divided into single color, multicolor and multicolor processes. Among them, the coloring method is to fold all the color sheets together and place them on the wax tray, then change the color, position and pattern of the paper, and fill the imaginary shape with solid shape, which is called "changing the spear". The back is pasted with paper to make the color more rich and orderly.

From the subject matter to the art form, guomenjian has a strong local flavor, which adapts to the aesthetic consciousness of farmers and the living characteristics of rural areas, so it has a wide range of mass and folk heritage. It has a wide range of subjects, various forms, beautiful composition and bright colors. It is good at expressing people's pursuit and yearning for a better life by means of symbolism, homophony and allegory. It fully reflects the intelligence and aesthetic taste of the working people, and can provide information for the study of history, folk customs, handicrafts and other aspects. Once upon a time, there were a lot of practitioners in the production of local guomenjian in Juxian County. Where the practitioners were concentrated, the artists often passed on for more than four or five generations. With the further acceleration of urbanization, many people in Juxian County have lived in buildings, and the custom of pasting doornotes has gradually weakened. Influenced by the environment, the production of cross door paper has been marketized and commercialized. As a result, some traditional patterns have changed or disappeared, and the original works are more and more difficult to find. At present, most of the local young people in Juxian County are unwilling to learn and inherit this ancient folk handicraft. There is no one to follow up on the art of cross door paper carving, which is on the verge of extinction. It is a critical moment for rescue.