Chinese paper-cutting creates designs by cutting or engraving paper.
Forms and uses#
The UNESCO description includes coloured and uncoloured work, interior decoration, festivities and ritual uses. Designs differ by maker, region and intended occasion. A single motif should not be assigned one universal meaning without context.
Heritage record#
Chinese paper-cut entered the Representative List in 2009. The nomination describes transmission within families and communities.
A viewing exercise#
Find out who made a piece and where it was produced. Compare the cut spaces with the paper that remains, then read the maker’s explanation of the design. Treat a workshop’s interpretation as that maker’s account rather than a rule for all of China.