Chapter 26 Part III Celebrating Festivals and Watching Lanterns Section 26 Paper-cut Patterns

Such patterns and routines are the creation of the people themselves.A wide range of applications, many requirements, and good requirements can produce professional technology from the masses of handy minds.And in some areas, a small-scale special handicraft production has gradually developed.In western Hunan, on the old post road from Pushi to Fenghuang, there is such a small village named Tahu, which is under the jurisdiction of Luxi County in the Yuanshui River. It is not far from Jishou, the capital of Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Prefecture. There are about thirty families.For decades, they have distributed their products to townships and small towns in various counties, enriching the lives of young women of the Miao and Han ethnic groups in the surrounding hundreds of miles.During its heyday, some of its products were resold by shopkeepers in Piaoxiang to the villages in several counties and villages near Sichuan and Guizhou, where they were widely welcomed.

This kind of pattern is commonly known as "paper-cut" or "window grille" by northerners, but people in Xiangxi only call it "tie flowers" or "file paper" according to their habits. On a wooden board, it is carefully carved with a small file.Both methods have to go through another processing procedure, using a fine needle to carve many pinhole lines on the paper to indicate the embroidery method and key points, and then it is considered complete.The application is closely related to people's daily life, so most of them are traditional patterns familiar to the people.Reflecting the love between young men and women, there are "mandarin ducks playing with lotus", "Dan Feng Chaoyang", "fish and water love each other".Reflecting the family's desire for happiness and production development, there are "magpies and plum blossoms", "many men and more children", "five grains are plentiful", and "melons are endless".Reflecting the stories and legends, there are "Hehe Erxian" and "Liu Hai Xichan".Commonly used plants are lotus, peony, plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, daylily, lily, pomegranate, which symbolizes fertility, and peach, which symbolizes longevity.In addition to common animals such as magpies, phoenixes, butterflies, bees, cats, and rabbits, there are also lions rolling balls and kylins giving children that have been handed down from the Song and Ming dynasties.Although the themes are often the same, the content can vary greatly.The styles are healthy and lively, and most of them have the characteristics of people's art.In North China, the general paper-cut window grilles are similar to New Year pictures, and still retain the original intention of "people day Huasheng" in ancient times.For example, using the characters in the novel as the theme, it is also related to the lantern and shadow play.Forty years ago, Xiangxi flower paper was developed from "Huasheng", and it was called "Shenfu Xiqian". Every year, people's lintel stoves and pigsty woolen houses are posted everywhere. arrive.In addition, it is also posted on ships, cargo loads, and plows.Generally, red paper is used, for those who are particular about it, gold-sprinkled or bright gold paper is used, and for funerals, pink-blue paper is used.This kind of "happy money" and "almanac" and the "door god" printed on wooden boards, and the story paintings in the novels of Journey to the West and the Three Kingdoms have already formed a seasonal commodity. Zhike was trafficked from a large production unit in Yuanling, Changde.As for the paper flower, its function is somewhat similar to that of the powder book of ancient murals and the leather board used for printed cloth, and they are all just drafts for completing some kind of artistic design.Although the demand for this kind of pattern is quite large, and there are often customers throughout the year, due to the low unit price and wide distribution, it has never been able to form the conditions for urban commodities, so the production has always been in the countryside, which is just the opposite of other small handicraft commodities. .When the Tahu patterns became popular, the needlework shops in Santing City competed for business for the convenience of customers, and had to buy the Tahu patterns from the vendors in Piaoxiang and sell them together.Since this kind of flower paper absorbs most of the surplus labor force of rural women, it also enhances their love for beauty and has a connection with the real life of the local people. In terms of function, it is naturally far more important and complicated than New Year pictures and window grilles. much.

Tahu patterns are representative, with the upper corner of women's apron as the chest part, sleeves and trousers, shoe uppers and pillows, men's belly and small bag for money, and children's saliva and hood.For it to be a work of art, it must be combined not only with the surplus labor of women, but also with their youthful emotional aspirations.Aprons, sleeves and trouser legs are indispensable for every rural woman's clothing. With them, production and labor, festivals, weddings, and weddings are full of flowers everywhere, and the scene is much more lively.The emotions of the young people became lively, so along with this lively and joyous scene, many beautiful local folk songs were sung from the mouths of young men.Therefore, when doing it, you must have all kinds of happy wishes.The belly bag is embroidered and given to the husband or lover in another situation.Stitches of colored thread, when embroidered on the material, must also be intertwined with their love.When the child is born, turns one year old, is about to walk independently, and just needs a little flower hat and a drool, the mother uses the great maternal love shared by the world, together with various colorful silk threads, to treat the child Future happiness and hope are woven into flowers together.By understanding the production process and significance of these embroideries in this way, we will understand that the embroidered batiks in various parts of the Southwest can be so exquisite because they were originally cultivated by those working people with high enthusiasm for artistic creation.

The pattern with the most personality is the apron as the chest part.According to local customs, no matter they are working in production or visiting as guests, they often wear an apron over their clothes.The intention was originally to facilitate washing, so as not to stain the clothes.But for a young man who has a natural taste for beauty and color, too plain is never proper.Seeking the best of both worlds, so a little flower is added to the general apron.Technically, the processing can be divided into two categories: those who use cross-stitching method usually make geometric radial patterns between certain parts of the material, and usually do not need a draft. In the market, go to the market and ask the flower seller to help, temporarily pop up a large sample with pink thread on the fabric, and take it home to create.They don't have to be strictly restricted by drafts, but they can be used in certain parts. Young people are imaginative, dexterous, bold and strong. Naturally, they are easy to surprise and renovate, and produce various healthy and beautiful works.Especially with the color, or bright red and green, or simple and plain, according to the temperament and preferences, each has its own strengths.The cross-stitching method is more suitable for expressing radial square and circular patterns and continuous belt patterns. It can be simple or complex, and there is no need to limit the time.A good partner can also grab the hand and add some florets to the empty space.As a result, the works left behind are either very interesting or exceptionally beautiful.Monochromatic embroidery is not afraid of washing.Even if you use single-color pick embroidery, the pattern is also very beautiful.This kind of art created entirely by the people is left in the villages of the southwestern provinces. It has richer content than any other kind of folk art, and it deserves the attention of art workers and cultural relics workers.

The stitch embroidery method is also useful for relatively large pieces of fabric, such as skirts, tent eaves, bed surrounds and quilt covers. Part of the flowers are assembled with continuous Fangsheng lattice brocade patterns with a diameter of one inch.In terms of processing technology, it is particularly ingenious.It was originally developed from the Song-style "Najinxiu" (this method is also popular in Sichuan, and some are extremely exquisite. Modern production of large cross-stitched bed sheets and table sheets for export is worth reference). Tahu patterns are mainly used for rural embroidery.Compared with cross-stitching, embroidery seems to be simple in form, but in fact it is technically complex.There are certain rules for sketching, folding branches, and color matching. There are various procedures for thread breaking.It's not enough to have a good draft, you must pass a good stitch.However, according to the beauty habits of the countryside, colorful and folded flowers and birds are more in line with most people's requirements for beauty than cross-stitching patterns.At the same time, the desire for artistic expression and the perseverance to overcome difficulties hidden in the emotions of rural young women are very strong, so they always take trouble and continue to create from generation to generation.The reason why Tahu patterns have been popular for decades is that the patterns are extraordinarily exquisite and can meet the needs of rural areas.In addition, in the villages of various places, there are also non-professional skillful proofers who are usually respected and gradually turn into professionals. They carry a bamboo bamboo cage for many years and travel around the countryside to make a living.If this kind of person can do all kinds of big things, there will be a crowd of people around the small stalls at the beginning and end of the market every time the market is held.Let's try to imagine using the earth-dyed moon blue cloth produced by the family handicraft industry to make an apron. The embroidery thread materials are three red, two blue, pea green, and gardenia yellow silk threads. Handle the flowers, and then install a bright white hammering silver butterfly in the middle of the collar button after finishing.The waist is not tied with thick twisted silver chains with fingers, but an oil-green spotted chicken sausage belt, with a pair of whitebait bells adorned between the two corners.Such a beautiful apron is worn around the chest of a healthy and happy young woman in her twenties. The entire artistic effect should be easy to understand without saying.The achievement of this kind of folk art is the joint labor achievement of people who cut flowers, silversmiths in floating villages and women who embroider.The healthy and beautiful image and gorgeous blending colors will definitely inspire friends who are good at learning and designing folk song and dance costumes.