OneofChina’smostpopularfolkartsispapercutting（剪纸）.Archaeological(考古学的)findstracethetraditionbacktothe6thcentury;itissupposedthatthebeginningsofpapercuttingwereevenafewcenturiesearlier.Papercuttingsareusedforreligious(宗教的)purposes,fordecoration(装饰)andaspatterns(图案).
Today,papercuttingsaremainlyusedasdecoration.Theyornamentwalls,windows,doors,columnsmirrors,lampsandlanternsinhomes.Theyarealsousedfordecorationonpresents,andaregivenaspresentsthemselves.Theyareofspecialimportanceatfestivals.AttheSpringFestivalforexample,entrancesaredecoratedwithpapercuttingswhicharesupposedtobringgoodluck.
Papercuttingsarenotproducedbymachine,butbyhand.Therearetwokindsofpapercuttings;scissor(剪刀)cuttingsandknifecuttings.Scissorcuttingsarefashionedwithscissors.Severalpiecesofpaper---uptoeightpieces---arefastenedtogether.Themotif(图形)isthencutwithsharp,pointedscissors.
Knifecuttingsarefashionedbyputtingseverallayers(层)ofpaperonarelativelysoftfoundationconsistingofamixtureoftallow(动物脂)andashes.Followingapattern,theartistcutsthemotifintothepaperwithasharpknifewhichheusuallyholdsvertically(垂直地).Theadvantageofknifecuttingsisthatconsiderablymorepapercuttingscanbemadeinoneoperationthanscissorcuttings.
Inthecountryside,papercuttingsareusuallymadeonlybywomenandgirls.Thisusedtobeoneoftheskillsthateverygirlwastomasterandthatwereoftenusedtojudgebrides(新娘).Professionalpapercuttingartistsare,ontheotherhand,almostalwaysmenwhohaveguaranteed(保证)incomesandworktogetherinworkshops.
小题1:Papercuttingscanbeusedfor______________.