Explore a symbol
An everyday material, many traditions
Jianzhi is Chinese paper cutting: shaping paper by cutting away selected areas. Works can be folded or cut on an open sheet, and can emphasize outlines, openings, or both. The term describes a broad family of practices rather than one universal style.
UNESCO inscribed Chinese paper-cut on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. Its description includes decorations for homes, celebrations and rituals, with patterns that change with place and purpose.
Look at the occasion as well as the image
A design for a wedding does a different job from a birthday gift or a New Year window decoration. A familiar animal, flower, or character can take on meaning through its companions and the words they recall. Color alone does not tell the whole story.
Our symbols and meanings guide pairs motifs with the interpretations in this collection. Those notes are an introduction, not a claim that every artist or community uses the same vocabulary.
A living craft, not a single historical look
Regional practice, an individual maker’s choices, and the intended use all affect a paper cut. This website’s digital studies help you explore a few structures; they do not represent the full range of Chinese paper-cutting traditions.
Some studio motifs are new practice drawings and some adapt credited vector artwork. Sources and licenses for the studio motifs are listed on the artwork credits page. A drawing inspired by a traditional motif is not automatically an antique pattern or an example made by a tradition bearer.
Follow the pattern back to your hands
Begin with the first-fold tutorial, explore the pattern library, or plan a Chinese New Year paper-cutting afternoon. Making a shape is a useful starting point for asking why someone might choose it.