Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Paper Cuts

Paper cuts are most popular in northern china where they are often put on windows, doors, ceilings, and bridal chambers. Paper cuts are originally consider a woman's art, in many Chinese rural village, girls have a learn paper cut at a young ages, some say that a girl's paper cut ability is a embodiment of her intelligence. Paper cut designs are often derived from figures found on ancient pottery and rock paintings. Paper cuts often resemble frogs, snakes, fish, birds, dragons and gods of the ancients. Paper cut tigers implicate longevity in Chinese culture. Tree and deer’s heads symbolize continuity. To express wishes for children, paper cuts are made to resemble fish, lotus flowers, gourds, dragons and phoenixes.

translate English to Chinese:
剪纸在中国北方特别盛行,窗户上、门上、屋顶上、新房里随处可见。 原先人们认为剪纸是女性的艺术,农村的许多地方,女孩子从小就要学习剪纸了。有人说女孩子剪纸的水平就是智慧的体现。剪纸的图样取材于古代陶器和岩画中的人物形象。有的像青蛙、蛇、鱼、龙,还有古代的神仙。剪纸通常具有象征性,老虎图案的剪纸暗含中国文化中的长寿;树和鹿头代表恒久;鱼荷花葫芦龙凤代表对孩子的美好祝愿。