Paper Cuttings in Western Henan: the Application of Cultural Creative Product Design in the Inheritance and Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Abstract

The purpose of this study is: 1) to study the historical origin, artistic value and cultural identity of Paper-Cutting in western Henan. 2) to study the inheritance and protection of paper-cutting in western Henan. 3) to study for developing creative designs to protect cultural heritage. This study is a qualitative study. A qualitative study was conducted on Paper-Cutting in western Henan Province. The research data was collected through relevant literature analysis, investigation, observation, interview, in-depth interview and group discussion. The research tools include survey methods, observation methods, interview methods, structured and unstructured focus group discussions. The population sample of this study is 26 people, and cultural theory is used to analyze the data. The research results are presented through descriptive analysis. The results of this study are as follows.

(1) It highlights the profound historical and cultural origins of paper-cutting in western Henan, analyzes the cultural characteristics of paper-cutting in western Henan and the cultural attributes behind the art form, emphasizes the status and identity of paper-cutting in western Henan in the field of Chinese paper-cutting, clarifies its artistic value and cultural identity, and helps to further enhance the cultural influence of paper-cutting art in western Henan.

(2) Important issues in the inheritance and protection of paper-cutting in western Henan. In the context of modern society, family inheritance, master-apprentice inheritance, and social inheritance methods can no longer meet the current development status of society. The serious aging of the inheritor population poses a threat to the continuation of the craft, and the limited understanding and unclear cognition of the cultural value of the younger generation hinders its preservation. Although there are also young groups involved, most young people have a low level of understanding of the paper-cutting culture in western Henan, and their cognition of the cultural value and cultural connotation expressed by it is relatively vague, which limits the future inheritance and protection of paper-cutting in western Henan.

(3) Propose innovative solutions through cultural and creative product design, combine theoretical concepts with artistic design, and propose feasible solutions for the inheritance and protection of paper-cutting in western Henan. Under the current social context, the design of cultural and creative products will promote the diversified dissemination of western Henan paper-cutting, increase the public's participation in the protection of western Henan paper-cutting, and provide a research model for reference for the inheritance and protection of intangible cultural heritage.

By exploring the historical origins, artistic value and cultural characteristics of western Henan paper-cutting, analyzing and discussing the difficulties faced in its inheritance and protection, combining theoretical concepts with artistic practice, and using cultural and creative product design methods, new solutions are proposed for the inheritance and protection of western Henan paper-cutting. This solution can also be applied to the protection of other similar intangible cultural heritages, proposing new ideas for the protection of intangible cultural heritage.

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