Frontiers in Art Research, 2026, 8(1); doi: 10.25236/FAR.2026.080109.
Xingmei Xu1,2
1Sichuan University of Culture and Arts, Mianyang, China
2Chengdu Qinggong Polytechnic University, Chengdu, China
Qiang ethnic pattern paper cutting serves as a key source of motifs for Qiang embroidery and clothing decoration, embodying the needlework skills passed down through generations by Qiang women. With its rich compositional forms and profound cultural significance, it combines decorative value with ethnic identity. In the daily needlework practices of Qiang women, pattern paper-cutting serves not only as a template for embroidery but also as a creative act that combines decoration and practical use, embodying unique feminine sentiments, cultural contributions and artisanal skill. Based on fieldwork and physical analysis, this article takes Qiang pattern paper cutting as its subject to explore its compositional forms and multiple dimensions of value, with a particular focus on the transmission of skills and the cultural roles of Qiang women within the integrated process of cutting, embroidering and using these creations. The research aims to broaden the scope of Qiang cultural studies, assist in the preservation and transmission of this ethnic folk craft, and deepen public understanding of the Qiang people’s multicultural existence.
Qiang ethnic; pattern paper-cutting; compositional forms; cultural significance
Xingmei Xu. An Analysis of the Compositional Forms and Value Dimensions of Qiang Ethnic Pattern Paper Cutting. Frontiers in Art Research (2026), Vol. 8, Issue 1: 55-62. https://doi.org/10.25236/FAR.2026.080109.
[1] Qiao Xiaoguang. Paper Culture in Village Settlements: A Survey and Study of the Traditional Paper-cutting Art of China’s Ethnic Minorities (Volume 2) [M]. Qingdao: Qingdao Publishing House, 2018.
[2] Mo Ke, Wen Qiang. ‘The Ancient Qiang Heritage: Qiang Paper-cutting in Lizhou County’ [N]. Sichuan Economic Daily. 14 May 2019, Page 8: Intangible Cultural Heritage, http://epaper.scjjrb.com/Article/index/aid/2832754.html.
[3] Li Shaoming, Zhou Shurong. Selected Works on Ethnology and Archaeology by Ge Weihan [M]. Chengdu: Bashu Publishing House, 2004: 25.
[4] Wang Haiquan. A Preliminary Study of the Art of Folk Shoe-Pattern Paper-Cutting in Pizhou [C] // Preliminary Study on the Construction and Development of China’s Hometowns of Folk Culture and Art. Pizhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Jiangsu Province; 2010: 500–504.
[5] Sun Peilan. A History of Chinese Embroidery [M]. Beijing: Beijing Library Press, 2007: 241.
[6] Zheng Jiao, Li Ming, Geng Zhaohui. Iconography of Qiang Embroidery [M]. Shanghai: Zhonghua Book Company, 2022: 31.
[7] Zhang Daoyi. Jianzi Alley Patterns: Shandong Folk Embroidery and Paper-cutting [M]. Jinan: Shandong Education Press, 2011: 15.
[8] Wang Wang. On the Stylistic Characteristics of Folk Paper-cutting Art among the Qiang People in the Upper Reaches of the Min River, Sichuan [J]. Art Critique, 2017, (03): 50–52.
[9] Du Jie, Wang Jiamin. A Study on the Artistic Characteristics of Ku Shulan’s Paper-cutting Composition [J]. Decoration, 2012, (08): 120–122.
[10] Wang Hu. A Study of Traditional Chinese Utensil Design (Volume 1) [M], Nanjing: Jiangsu Fine Arts Press, 2007: 1.
[11] Luo Lai. On the Folk Embroidery and Paper-cutting Art of the Qiang People [J]. Journal of Southwest Minzu University (Humanities and Social Sciences Edition), 2005, (05): 330–332.
[12] Zhang Ben. The Influence of Religious Beliefs on Qiang Folk Art [J]. Art Hundred, 2009, 25(S2): 45–51.
[13] Qiao Xiaoguang. The Life and Art of a Genius Successor of Chinese Folk Paper-cutting [M]. Taiyuan: Shanxi People’s Publishing House, 2004: 32.