The Chosen and the Beautiful

by Nghi Vo

The history of paper cutting actually predates the invention of paper. Paper was invented in China sometime during the Eastern Han dynasty, around 100 CE, by a palace official in the court of Emperor He known as Cai Lun. While paper cutting was first officially documented by the sixth century, the shapes and themes that characterize the art hearken back to decorative cuttings made using thin leather, fabric, silver foil, and even leaves. In The Chosen and the Beautiful, paper cutting magic appears as a marker of Jordan Baker’s lost homeland, something at once beautiful and frightening that ties her to a heritage she has never known. For Jordan, in a world drowning in wonder, the art of paper cutting is a link to her past. In our own world, the history of paper cutting likewise leads us to a rich tradition of folk art and storytelling. Today, paper cutting is recognized as a fine art, but the cheapness and wide availability of paper has made it one that can be refined and enjoyed by people at all levels of society, and many different styles of paper cutting can be found throughout the world. In China, paper cutting is known as jianzhi. Historically it has been divided into the northern style and the southern style: where paper cutting in the north prioritizes smooth evocative lines, paper cutting in the south is more elaborate, concentrating on very detailed creations using very delicate lines.