Chinese paper cutting

Chinese Paper Cutting or Jianzhi is the first type of papercutting design, since paper was invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. The art form later spread to other parts of the world with different regions adopting their own cultural styles. Because the cut outs are also used to decorate doors and windows, they are sometimes referred to ''"chuāng huā"'' , meaning Window Flower.

History

paper cutting is a unique artform and has existed for thousands of years with a long history featuring both national and regional themes. Paper began as a precious commodity in the Han Dynasty. Most of the people with access to paper for an entertainment cause such as art were usually nobles in royal palaces. The Song Dynasty scholar Chou Mi mentioned several paper cutters who cut paper with scissors into a great variety of designs and characters in different styles, and a young man who could even cut characters and flowers inside his sleeve. The oldest surviving paper cut out is a symmetrical circle from the 6th century found in Xinjiang, China.

From the 7th to 13th century, paper cutting became popular especially during festivals. The art spread to the rest of the world in the 14th century. Throughout the Qing Dynasty many papercutting skills were developed including drafting and the use of smoked papers. By the end of the Qing ruling however, new art forms were being introduced. The Republic of China of Taiwan later tried to revive the art in the 1980s.

In the rural countryside in mainland China, papercutting is a traditionally female activity. In the past, every girl was expected to master it and brides were often judged by their skill. Professional papercutting artists are, on the other hand, usually male and have guaranteed incomes and work together in workshops.

Symmetry

There are basic cut outs, that are a single image. And there are symmetrical designs that are usually created by some folding over a proportioned crease, and then cutting some shape. When unfolded, it forms a symmetrical design. The paper cut outs are usually in an even number series of 2, 4, 24 etc.

Designs

Chinese culture have always tried to find symbols. Like expression, single Chinese characters are often used to describe some meaning or representation. Other symbols like the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac are symbolically found in paper cut arts, even today. The basic art is generally 2D. The more advanced paper cuttings are usually done in stacks where it unfolds into some 3D object such as a lantern. Red seems to be the most popular color.

Uses

Today, papercuttings are chiefly decorative. They ornament walls, windows, doors, columns, mirrors, lamps and lanterns in homes and are also used on presents or are given as gifts themselves. Entrances are decorated with paper cut outs is supposed to bring good luck. Papercuttings used to be used as patterns, especially for embroidery and lacquer work.

In Chinese culture it can reflect many aspects of life such as , health, or harvest. Some cuttings represent stories about the happiness gained from the accomplishment of common goals.

Process

There are two methods of manufacture: one use scissors, the other use knives. In the scissor method, several pieces of paper - up to eight - are fastened together. The motif is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors.

Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers of paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of tallow and ashes. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife which is usually held vertically. Skilled crafters can even cut out different drawings freely without stopping.

Chinese paper folding

Chinese Paper Folding or Zhezhi is the art of paper folding that originated in China. It is the predecessor of today's origami.

History

Paper was originally invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. In the 6th century, Buddhist monks carried paper to Japan. The first Japanese origami is dated from this period. Due to political isolation of mainland China up until the Qing Dynasty, the art has not been as thoroughly investigated compared to that of other countries, particularly Japan and the Spanish-speaking lands. The other difficulty is that paper disintegrate and dissolves far faster than other art materials like jade or stone, making historical studies difficult.

The first notable book from Japan on the subject was printed in 1797 in the Sembazuru Orikata, which translates to ''"The Folding of 1000 Cranes"''.

The modular folding mentioned above is often done with Chinese paper money, and is folded from numerous pieces of paper folded into a relatively simple triangle, and connected by inserting a flap of one triangle into a pocket on the next. Popular favorite subjects for this type folding include pineapples, swans, and ships. This form of modular origami is currently popular under the name 3D origami.

Glove puppetry

Glove puppetry , also known as budai mu'ouxi, shoucao kuileixi, shoudai kuileixi, chang-chung hsi , xiaolong, or zhihuaxi is a type of local opera using cloth puppets that originated during the 17th century in Quanzhou or Zhangzhou, in China's Fujian province, and has been historically practiced in Quanzhou, Zhongzhou, Chaozhou in Guangdong, Taiwan, and other parts of southern China. The puppet's head uses wood carved into the shape of a hollow human head, but aside from the head, palms, and feet, which are made of wood, the puppet's torso and limbs consist entirely of cloth costumes. At the time of the performance, a gloved hand enters the puppet's costume and makes it perform. In previous years the puppets used in this type of performance strongly resembled "cloth sacks," hence the name, which literally means "cloth bag opera."

Glove puppetry performances

Glove puppetry performances, similar to those other types of Chinese opera, are divided into a first half and a second half show. During the first half, known as the "show platform" , the audience is shown a demonstration by a master puppeteer on the stage. The second half consists of the puppet master, the orchestra, and the spoken parts. Several key points of a show to be appreciated include: the dexterity of the master puppeteer's manipulation of the puppet, the accompaniment of the orchestra, and the poetic spoken parts of the voice actors. With few exceptions, from traditional pò͘-tē-hì to modern performances, human vocal music and operatic singing is rarely heard.

Shadow play

Shadow play or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment using opaque, often articulated figures in front of an illuminated to create the illusion of moving images. It is popular in various cultures. At present, more than 20 countries are known to have shadow show troupes.

Chinese

Mainland China

Shadow puppetry originated during the Han Dynasty when one of the concubines of Emperor Wu of Han died. The emperor was devastated, and he summoned his court officers to bring his beloved back to life. The officers made a shape of the concubine using donkey leather. Her joints were animated using 11 separate pieces of the leather, and adorned with painted clothes. Using an oil lamp they made her shadow move, bringing her back to life. Shadow theatre became quite popular as early as the Song Dynasty when holidays were marked by the presentation of many shadow plays. During the Ming Dynasty there were 40 to 50 shadow show troupes in the city of Beijing alone. In the 13th century, the shadow show became a regular recreation in the barracks of the Mongolian troops. It was spread by the conquering Mongols to distant countries like Persia, Arabia, and Turkey. Later, it was introduced to other Southeastern Asian countries. The earliest shadow theatre screens were made of . The storytellers generally used the art to tell events between various war kingdoms or stories of Buddhist sources

Indonesia and Malaysia

In Indonesia , and Malaysia , shadow puppet plays are known as ''wayang kulit''. In and , ''Wayang'' means shadow or imagination, while ''Kulit'' means skin and refers to the leather that puppets are made from. Stories presented are usually & morality tales. There is an educational moral to the plays which usually portray a battle between good and evil, with good always winning and evil running away . The Indonesian shadow plays are sometimes considered one of the earliest examples of animation.

The puppets are made primarily of leather and manipulated with sticks or horn handles. Shadows are cast using an oil lamp or, in modern times, a halogen light, onto a cotton cloth background. They are often associated with gamelan drum music . Shadow plays are very popular even today. They are performed during sacred temple ceremonies, at private functions, and for the public in the villages. A performance can last all night long, sometimes up to six hours or until dawn.

UNESCO designated Wayang Kulit as a ''Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity'' on November 7 2003.

Thailand

Shadow theatre in Thailand is called ''''; in the south there is a tradition called ''Nang Ta Lung''. Nang Yai puppets are normally made of cowhide and rattan. Performances are normally accompanied by a combination of songs and chants. Performances in Thailand were temporarily suspended in 1960 due to a fire at the national theatre. Nang drama has influenced modern , including filmmakers like Cherd Songsri and Payut Ngaokrachang.

The Ottoman Shadow Play and its Turkish and Greek descendants

The tradition of shadow play called Karag& was widespread throughout the Ottoman Empire and featured characters representing all of the major ethnic and social groups in that culture. It was performed by a single puppet master, who voiced all of the characters, and accompanied by a classical Ottoman music ensemble. Its origins are obscure, deriving perhaps from an older Egyptian tradition, or possibly from an Asian source.

During the 19th century these characters were adapted to the Greek language and culture, ''Karag&'' and ''Hacivat'' becoming Karagiozis and Hadjiavatis with each of the characters assuming stereotypically Greek personalities. This tradition thrived throughout Greece after independence as popular entertainment for a largely adult audience, particularly before competition arose from television. The stories did, however, retain the period setting in the late years of the Ottoman Empire. Karagiozis theatre has undergone some revival in recent years, with the intended audience tends largely juvenile.

Shadow puppetry today

In the 1910s the animator Lotte Reiniger pioneered silhouette animation as a format, whereby shadow play-like puppets are filmed . This technique has been kept alive by subsequent animators and is still practised today, though and computer animation has also been used to imitate the look of shadow play and silhouette animation.

Shadow theatre itself is still popular in many parts of Asia. Prahlad Acharya is one famous Indian magician who incorporates it into his performances.

It also appears occasionally in popular culture, for example in:
*The children's television show ''Bear in the Big Blue House''
*The staging of 's '''' tour
*The film Once Upon a Time in America, where it is occasionally seen in the Opium house.
*The short film ''Humdrum''
*The horror film ''''
Season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
*The entertainer Bablu Mallick, who used used shadow play in his act during 1980's TV appearances, including on Paul Daniels Magic Show.

Australia

OAM is a famous Australian shadow puppeteer. His character ''Super Kangaroo'' is just one in his varied repertoire. The skill of Bradshaw has been featured in television programs made by Jim Henson.

Gallery

Further reading

* Copeland, Jonathan in consultation with Ni Wayan Murni ''"Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the Morning of the World"''. Gateway Books International
* Currell, David, ''An Introduction to Puppets and Puppetmaking'', New Burlington Books, ISBN 1-85348-389-3
* Logan, David, ''Puppetry'', Brisbane Dramatic Arts Company ISBN 9780980456301

Chinese knotting

Chinese knotting is a decorative handicraft arts that began as a form of Chinese folk art in the and Song Dynasty in China. It was later popularized in the and Qing Dynasty . The art is also referred to as ''Chinese traditional decorative knots''. In other cultures, it is known as ''"Decorative knots"''.

History

Archaeological studies indicate that the art of tying knots dates back to prehistoric times. Recent discoveries include 100,000-year old bone needles used for sewing and bodkins, which were used to untie knots. However, due to the delicate nature of the medium, few examples of prehistoric Chinese knotting exist today. Some of the earliest evidence of knotting have been preserved on bronze vessels of the Warring States period , Buddhist carvings of the Northern Dynasties period and on silk paintings during the Western Han period .

Further references to knotting have also been found in literature, poetry and the private letters of some of the most infamous rulers of China. In the 1700s, one book that talked extensively about the art was Dream of the Red Chamber.

The phenomenon of knot tying continued to steadily evolve over the course of thousands of years with the development of more sophisticated techniques and increasingly intricate woven patterns. During the Qing Dynasty knotting finally broke from its pure folklore status, becoming an acceptable art form in Chinese society and reached the pinnacle of its success. Knotting continued to flourish up until about the end of imperial China and the founding of the Republic of China in 1911 AD when China began its modernization period. From 1912 to the end of the cultural revolution in 1976, the art of Chinese knotting was almost lost.

In the late 1970s a resurgence of interest occurred in Taiwan, largely due to the efforts of Lydia Chen of the National Palace Museum who founded the Chinese Knotting Promotion Center. In the 1980s, Mrs. Chen focused her energies on the knotting artifacts preserved during the Qing Dynasty. Currently, Chinese knotting enjoys wide popularity in Taiwan with numerous specialty shops to be found.

Regional

China

Historically knotwork are divided into cords and knots. In the , a certain number of craftsmen were stationed in the court and outside the court to produce cords and knots in order to meet the increasing demand for them at various places of the court. Cord, knot and tassels were made separated and combined later.

Korea

In Korea, decorative knotwork is known as ''maedeup'' , often called ''Korean knotwork'' or ''Korean knots''. Inspired by Chinese knotwork, a wall painting found in Anak, Hwanghae Province, now in North Korea, dated 357 AD, indicates that the work was flourishing in silk at that time. Decorative cording was used on silk dresses, to ornament swords, to hang personal items from belts for the aristocracy, in rituals, where it continues now in contemporary wedding ceremonies. Korean Knotwork is differentiated from Korean embroidery.

The Bong Sool tassel is noteworthy, and the most representative work familiar to westerners, and often bought as souvenirs for macrame-style wall-hangings.

Japan

With greater emphasis on the that are used to create the knots, Japanese knotting tends to focus on individual knots.

Types of knots

Lydia Chen lists 11 basic types of Chinese decorative knotwork in her first book. More complex knots are then constructed from repeating or combining basic knots. They are:

One major characteristic of decorative knotwork is that all the knots are tied using one , which is usually about one-meter in length. However, when finished the knot looks identical from both the front and back. They can come in a variety of colours such as; gold, green, blue or black, though the most commonly used colour is red. This is because it symbolizes good luck and prosperity.

There are many different shapes of Chinese knots. The most common being flowers, birds, , fish, and even shoes. Culturally they were expected to ward off evil spirits similar to or act as good-luck charms for Chinese marriages.

Other

''Chinese knot'' also refers to a game in which the players hold their arms together in a complex pattern, while a bystander tries to give them directions to untie their arms.