The folk paper-cut of Beijing-Tianjin area

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Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to the influence of geographical location, the folk arts of Beijing-Tianjin area is developed exceptionally, producing many folk art brands, such as Peking Opera, Tianjin quyi and “clay figurine Zhang”and so on are famous in the world. Similarly, the folk paper-cut is also a very popular form of folk culture in the Beijing-Tianjin area.

The creative performance of paper-cut of the Beijing-Tianjin area is the technology of combination of shearand incise, and the Beijing-Tianjin paper-cut can be generally divided into three categories: paper-cut for window decoration, embroidery of sleeve and shoes,”Guaqian”(Tianjin people calledit Diaoqian) sold through vendors, etc.

①Paper-cut in Beijing area Because of the special location andthe mutual influence of the Central Plains and Northeastern Manchu paper-cut, Beijing paper-cut forms some unique paper-cut art types, like o the royal court paper-cut, folk paper-cut, literati paper-cut formed later, and the paper-cut with a political theme.

The royal court paper-cut mainly refers to the Imperial Palace indoor decoration paper-cut; the main content of folk paper-cut includes door andwindow paper-cut, paper-cut patterns and decoration, etc. Door paper-cut(Menqian) is also called”Guaqian”, and it is a representative form of Beijing folk paper-cut, while window paper-cut is also a form of old Beijing paper-cut. Once upon a time, Beijingvendors hawked through the streets saying “the little cat, the little dog and the little cockerel; the lion lapdog window flowers!”, which could express the scene. In addition, housewives consider the paper-cut as needlework and the patterns for general clothing embroidery. The gorgeous modeling of Beijing paper-cut is influenced by the Huangchenggen(at the foot of the Imperial City). Beijing paper-cut has mutated into a kind of decoration supplies for the culture and life nowadays. The materials and technology tend to be more abundant, besides the the general nature of the mascot, it has become the spirit carrier loved by the masses.

Some companies and shops like hanging giant paper-cut in order to be blessed in festival celebration. With the updated lifestyle, palace lantern, Spring Festival couplets, and Guaqian still play a decorative function of folk culture with a wide adaptability to thepeople’s life in new era; the continuous development and innovation of literatipaper-cut are because of the influence of the capital culture center, which creates the favorable condition for the unique and modern literati paper-cut.

All in all, the rich content, wide-ranging theme, multicultural infiltration, and literati tendency of development form the basic characteristics of Beijing paper-cut art.

② Folk paper-cut in Tianjin area Tianin is located along the coast of the Bohai Sea. As the important dock port in north China, it is adjacent to Beijing and Yangliuqing, so the culturalcharacteristics are influenced by these factors; Tianjin is the fusion place of local folk custom and also it is thecultural “hodgepodge”with the north-south style both in content and form. The aspect of folk paper-cut has both north’s simplicity and south’s delicacy.

Tianjin folk paper-cut’s categories contain window paper-cut, Guaqian, dowry paper-cut, embroidery pattern, gift paper-cut and so on. Tianjin has developed industry and commerce, so the themes such as praying forrich profit, cornucopia, prosperity both in family and purse, profits from all sides constitute the main features of the Tianjin paper-cut art. Due to the aggression of Eight-Power Allied Forces in the reigning years Guangxu, Qing Dynasty, it gets in touch with foreign culture, which makes whole Tianjin take on the color of semi-colonialism. Many new things appear in Tianjin paper-cut. We can see the wagon, automobile, steamship and other fresh stuffs in it.

All in all, rich content, dense commercial atmosphere, strong modern cultural characteristics and so on make the basic characteristics of Tianjin folk paper-cut art.