YAN'AN PAPERCUTS (Yan An Jian Zhi)

Beijing, China: The People's Fine-Arts Publishing House, 1981. First Chinese Edition, First Thus . Soft cover. COLLECTIBLE - NEAR FINE/None as Issued. BRAND NEW & Collectible. Copy w/trace humidity stains to lower text edges of c. last 20 pages. Published w/o ISBN/ISBN subsequently assigned to 1981 re-issue by China Books & Periodicals. Treatise on the Chinese folkart of papercuts produced in the Yan'an (or, Wade-Giles, Yen-an) region by contemporary artists adhering to traditional motifs and composition. The term 'scissor-art' is often used; strictly speaking only one blade is used in exacto-knife fashion. It is a popular art craft that permeatated all of China, often pasted on fabrics as a pattern before fine emboidering, especially in fashioning ladies slippers. Fine color reproductions ranging from the very traditional to celebrations of the modern proletariat. Last sector (from pg 159) are didatic works both extolling communism, the need for literacy and support for soldiers; for example pg 186 celebrates a cooperative store, followed by encouragement to learn at least a 1000 ideographs, and support for soldiery. Brief biographies of the artist follow. Fine copy.