中国民间剪纸艺术

　　The Art of Chinese Papercuts The attraction of the traditional Chinese folk art of papercutting lies in its apparent simplicity： a typical papercut requires no pairits or brushes， only an ordinary pair of scissors or a knife， and a single sheet of paper. Unique among Chinese folk arts， papercutting's influence on other fields and its number and variety of products reveal the depth of its roots in popular culture as a means of beautifying the everyday environment. In recent years， as a number of papercut artists have gone abroad to exhibit their works and demonstrate their skills， both the interest in and the market for Chinese papercuts have increased. This book is intended to provide an introduction to the origins and history， the style， the themes， and the techniques involved in papercutting. It is illustrated with more than 200 reproductions， half of which are in colour. In addition to enjoying the country charm of the papercuts， readers may try their own hand at paper- cutting by following the instructions given in the last section of the book.

　　About the Author Born Jn 1932 in Zouping County， Shandong Province， Zhang Daoyi has been working as an art teacher ever since his graduation from Shandong University's Department of Fine Arts in 1952. He is now an associate professor at Nanjing College of Art， honorary chairman of the Chinese Papercuts Society， a standing council member of the Jiangsu Aesthetics Society， an advisor to the Research Society on the History of Arts and Crafts， and deputy council director of the Nanjing Society of Arts and Crafts. Over the years， he has been engaged in the study of art history and folk arts， occasionally turning out a book-cover or ornamental design. Among his books published in Chinese are Ancient Jewellery， Landscape Designs and Chinese Folk Papercuts - An Introduction and Appreciation.

     Contents
   Foreword
   1. Origins and History
    Before Papercuts
    Ancient Customs
    The Earliest Examples of Papercuts
    Papercuts and Printed Textiles
    Papercut Designs Fired onto Porcelain
    The Appearance of Papercut Artisans
    The Many Uses of Papercuts
   2. Patterns and Styles
    The Ornamental Appeal of Papercuts
    Basic Characteristics
    A Large Variety of Design
    A Distinctive Style
    Famous Papercut Artisans
   3. Themes and Content
    Good-Luck Characters and Sayings
    Traditional Fairy Tales and Characters
   4. The Techniques of Papercutting
    Tools and Materials
    The Basic Skills
    The Basic Steps