Papercutting is the art of cutting paper designs. The art has evolved uniquely all over the world to adopt to different cultural styles.
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The oldest surviving paper cut out is a symmetrical circle from the 6th century found in Xinjiang China.[1] By the eighth or ninth century papercutting appeared in West Asia and in Turkey in the 16th century. Within a century, papercutting was being done in most of middle Europe.
Jianzhi (剪紙), is a traditional style of papercutting in China. Jianzhi has been practiced in China since at least the 6th century A.D. Jianzhi has a number of distinct uses in Chinese culture, almost all of which are for health, prosperity or decorative purposes. Red is the most commonly used color. Jianzhi cuttings often have a heavy emphasis on Chinese characters symbolizing the Chinese Zodiac animals.
Although paper cutting is popular around the globe, only the Chinese paper cut was listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, which was in 2009.[2] The Chinese paper-cutting was recognized and listed because it has a history of more than 1500 years and it represents cultural values of the people throughout China.
There are a number of Philippine crafts outlets that utilize paper cutting. In the making of parol (a traditional star-shaped lantern often associated with Christmas in the Philippines), colored paper is cut into various decorative forms to create the trimmings and “tails” of the lantern. There is the art of pabalat (sweets wrappers), where rolls of colored paper wrappers with long elaborately cut paper tails are used to sheathe pastillas de leche, (milk pastilles) and other sweet treats. Paper cutting is also involved in the creation of banderitas that feature prominently in fiesta décor – these are elaborate and plain-cut paper streamers strung on a cords and suspended over streets.
Sanjhi is the Indian art of paper cutting. The cut paper is usually placed on the floor and colors are filled in to make Rangoli.
Kirie is the Japanese art of paper cutting, while Kirigami, also called Monkiri, involves cutting and folding paper.
Papercutting has been a common Jewish art form since the Middle Ages. In 1345, Rabbi Shem-Tov ben Yitzhak ben Ardutiel, finding that his ink had frozen, continued to write the manuscript by cutting the letters into the paper. By about the 17th century, papercutting had become a popular form for small religious artifacts such as mizrachs and Shavuot decorations. In the 20th century, the art of Jewish papercutting was revived in Israel. Today it is most commonly used for mizrachs and ketubot. See examples of Jewish papercutting here.
Papel picado is the Mexican art of paper cutting. Tissue paper is cut into intricate designs with scissors or small, sharp chisels; this technique is frequently used to produce decorative banners.
Silhouette can refer to the art of cutting outlines or portraits out of black paper. Modern-day papercutters typically follow one or more of the "traditional" styles listed above, while others have begun to expand the art into new styles, motifs, and designs. Contemporary papercutting is also sometimes associated with the art of stenciling, itself being derived from techniques used in graffiti art. The use of hand-cut stencils in graffiti art has received international attention in recent years due in part to the artist Banksy.