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The artist uses a cutting knife to carve pictures on the copper lining material, which may also be lined with colored paper according to the demands of the design. The copper lining material is for the cutting knife to carve picture lines and structure on the copper foil, which is lined with color paper according to the demand of design. The copper writing material is for the combination of painting and paper-cut, first carving the outline on the copper foil with cutting knife before painting with color foundation mixed with glue. The copper carving material is nearly the same with the copper writing material, where the picture or figure outline is chiseled out with a special chisel, with the outline like a chain of pearls that are not connected but painted with powder colors.
Most of the subjects of Foshan papercuts are things working people like, such as lucky flowers, birds, fish and animals, and the favorite opera figures and folk stories, such as dragons, pheonixes, carp, peacocks, fruits, fortune and longevity. The copper carving materials are usually pink, rose color, blue and red-white, are harmonious and striking. The colors of copper lining materials are mainly the orange, pink, aquamarine, mustard yellow, purple, deep green and Cambridge blue and the pictures are striking and harmonious.
The colorful folk customs in Foshan have promoted the development of papercuts, and the development of papercut arts contribute to local Foshan folk customs.
Ⅷ. Papercuts of the Dai Minority
Declarer：Luxi City,Yunnan Province
The papercuts of the Dai Minority are mainly prevalent in the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan. Their origins can be traced back to the paper flags used in primitive sacrificial rituals. After hundreds of years of development, the papercuts are now used for sacrifices, to pray to Buddha, funerals, weddings and festivals, and home decorations. The contents vary from auspicious animals such as dragons and phoenixes, peacocks, elephants, and lions, to flowers like water lilies, roses, chrysanthemums, camellias, and cuckoos, to pavilions and temples as well as pagodas.
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