Jianzhi is a cultural heritage of spiritual wealth that decorates rituals, family ceremonies or traditional festivals. Following immediately after the invention of paper in China, approximately 2000 years ago, new art techniques emerged like paper cutting. The Tang Golden Age (618-907), also associated with the blossoming of the arts including the Jianzhi, saw the growth of some regional art styles that are still practiced today.
In 1881, this popular art form, associated with women’s work, caught the attention of this Chilean traveler who brought various samples that are now kept in the museum. The image on the right is a blue ink print on paper based on a paper cut matrix, possibly representing a warrior hero from classical Chinese literature with his faithful horse.