1972, 1 1 In June, 2008, archaeologists discovered the historical prototype of Ruichang paper-cut in the decorative patterns of the Western Jin tombs excavated by Ruichang. Many decorative patterns on ancient tomb bricks and buried pottery are very similar to those commonly used in folk paper-cutting today, with the same techniques and styles. According to experts' speculation, Ruichang paper-cutting originated at least in the Han and Jin dynasties 1000 years ago.

The unique artistic style of Ruichang paper-cut is closely related to its special geographical location and folk customs. Ruichang is located at the intersection of north and south. After thousands of years of mutual infiltration and infiltration of North and South cultures, Ruichang paper-cutting has integrated the ingenuity of the South and the roughness of the North, and gradually formed a thick, rigid and flexible artistic feature. Ruichang paper-cut adopts the expression of interaction between yin and yang, the combination of reality and reality, and the abnormal technique of "non-hollowing out", which makes the works subtle, elegant and mysterious.

Ruichang paper-cut has been handed down from generation to generation, and it is mainly used in religion, sacrifice, weddings and funerals, clothing and other fields. Ruichang paper-cutting not only inherits the tradition, but also innovates in reflecting the theme of modern life and adopting new techniques, techniques and materials. 1986, Ruichang paper-cut was included in the special exhibition of Lushan Summer Culture and Art Expo by Jiangxi Provincial Department of Culture. In the same year, 100 sets of paper-cut works were recommended by China Paper-cut Research Association to be exhibited at the Canton Fair. 1988, 4 1 works by 25 authors, including Huang Zhichun, Zhang Youqing and Zhou Shaorui, were included in the collection of snowflake paper-cut works in China 15 provinces and cities. In the same year, eight works were exhibited and collected in Texas. 1989, 39 works by 26 authors from Ruichang were selected for the Beijing National Paper-cutting Exhibition; 65438-0999 Ruichang Paper-cut Exhibition, the hometown of Chinese folk art, was held in Nanchang, and all 20 paper-cut works participating in the national mass culture and art exhibition won prizes. Ruichang paper-cutting attracts all classes from the government to the people with its unique charm, which is followed by the reputation of "the hometown of Chinese paper-cutting" and "the hometown of Chinese folk art".

Ruichang paper-cut not only attracts people's attention for its artistic value, but also attracts more and more attention from merchants for its potential decorative value. Nowadays, Ruichang enterprises engaged in deep processing of paper-cutting have mushroomed. From design to production, it is ornamental, informative, commemorative and collectible. Traditional folk culture has gradually transformed into modern commodities, developed from a decentralized form to a higher degree of organization, and gradually formed a big pattern of paper-cutting industry.

There are no family paper-cuts in the mountain village.

Ruichang has a saying that "every household does not cut paper, and every household does not embroider", which shows that paper-cutting involves a wide range. Ruichang's paper-cutting experts can be seen everywhere. It can be cut out by hand with only a pair of scissors, and it is easy to cut out complex and changeable shapes without drawing.

It is the exquisite paper-cutting skills that are widely circulated that have spawned a group of urban and rural cultural brokers, who operate the market in different ways: or collect fine folk paper-cutting products, participate in various exhibitions and competitions, and let them appreciate; Or invest in inviting new and old artists to concentrate on creating fine works of art; Or use advanced technology and equipment for artistic processing, and then sell through various channels. The rise of cultural brokers has revived the creative passion of a large number of new and old artists, and the government has paid more and more attention to the development of cultural undertakings, introducing Ruichang paper-cutting into a benign interactive stage.

The expansion of Ruichang paper-cut market not only brought economic benefits, but also stimulated the creative enthusiasm of paper-cut artists. Xia Fan Town Zhu Puguang, who is good at cutting historical figures, has made a one-time profit of 8,000 yuan through market operation, such as General Shui Hu 108, Twelve Women in Jinling and Simitu. In Golden Township, where there are the most paper-cutting artists, 85% of the villages have paper-cutting artists. The township organizes more than two intensive trainings and holds large-scale competitions every year, creating a strong paper-cutting atmosphere, and 80% of farmers have gained certain economic benefits from paper-cutting.

Go back to ancient times

Since the 1960s, modern civilization and contemporary culture have been permeated with Ruichang folk paper-cut artists. They break through the tradition, boldly innovate, adopt new technologies, pay attention to reflecting real life and situation, and have a distinct flavor of the times. Modern Ruichang paper-cut is rich in content, diverse in themes, innovative in techniques, with color-matching decals, and even influenced by the folk customs of northern paper-cut, painting is integrated into the creative vision. They not only learn from the ancients, but also learn from nature and modern life, and apply many feelings and interests in real life to modern art modeling to outline and describe the modern significance of folk custom changes. For example, rice milling, a farming series that reflects the customs of northeast Jiangxi, is the creation of modelling technique, with many innovations. It is concise in form, generalized in image, clear in modern information and pure in charm. It reveals a beautiful modern life and praises the labor scene without losing the connotation and quality of traditional culture. Ruichang paper-cutting, like other arts, comes from a true reflection of social life, and its inner thoughts and feelings, ideals and ambitions, moral concepts, personality characteristics and aesthetic attitudes are all presented under the care of the times. Since 1978, Ruichang has set up a paper-cut committee to develop and create modern and contemporary paper-cut art, and make full use of its own unique artistic characteristics, combining people's modern aesthetic needs of returning to simplicity, and directly embody the paper-cut art in various clothes and daily necessities, such as clothes, curtains, tablecloths, umbrellas, handkerchiefs, fans, etc. More specifically, it combines folk functions with the material pursuit of modern culture. Recently, Ruichang Paper-cutting joined hands with the National Olympic Sports Center, combining paper-cutting art with Beijing Olympic Games, and closely integrating sports culture with modern paper-cutting techniques. Guo Cheng, a paper-cut artist, said that the key to the performance of modern Ruichang paper-cut art lies in the combination of yin and yang in traditional paper-cut technology, and the form of line connection is modern to meet the tastes of modern people. Traditional paper-cutting needs to cut a bird. In addition to cutting vivid shapes, the feathers of birds can be flowers, serrations and thin lines. The expression of these elements in modern life and modern sports modeling requires extremely vivid technical transformation. From the layout of the basic elements of modern aesthetics, it is necessary to cut and change just right to realize the perfect blend of traditional skills and modern content. In 2006, Ruichang paper-cut was included in the provincial intangible cultural heritage list. Local governments have begun to formulate specific policies to protect and develop this national cultural treasure. On the one hand, the government supports and standardizes management to protect the original ecological cultural environment of folk paper-cutting; On the other hand, we should give full play to the initiative of enterprises and the guidance of the government, expand the socialized environment of the paper-cut market, promote the innovation and transformation of paper-cut art, extend its functionality and artistry, and make the context closely related to the times and people's lives.