Making Qiuse zhen ke artworks:

1. To make a paper zhen kou lantern, first decide on its structure and make a frame; then draw a lantern pattern on a thick sheet of paper. For a Qiuse melon lantern, the patterns can be drawn directly drawn on the melon husk.

2. Use a needle to make holes in the pattern and then paste it on the lantern frame.

3. For a Qiuse melon, carve the husk of a Chinese watermelon along the pre-drawn pattern. Then, hollow out the melon and place a lit lamp inside.

Traditional, colorful Qiuse lanterns also include bamboo woven lanterns, palace lanterns, lanterns with revolving paper-cuts, paper-cut lanterns, etc. To make such lanterns, bamboo strips or iron threads are used to make the frame, then silk, gauze or colored paper is used to cover the framework; finally, paper-cuts or paintings and calligraphy are pasted onto the surface.

Qiuse nian tie art

Qiuse nian tie handicrafts come in a great variety, including palace lanterns, silk gauze umbrellas, artificial flowers, potted rockworks, etc. This handicraft requires sophisticated skills and boasts a scientifically orderly and structural beauty. It incorporates such materials as melon seeds, sesame, rice, rush, grass, rice stalks, paring, beans, fish scales, etc.

When making Qiuse nian tie artworks, artists make use of the shapes of their materials to configure various patterns. For instance, Chinese watermelon seeds, red melons, sunflowers and muskmelons are egg-shaped, resembling wild chrysanthemum petals. Pasted on a wild chrysanthemum pattern, they can help create a very beautiful flower image. Also, flowers made from black-and-white sunflower seed shells can produce more vivid patterns using natural hues.

Qiuse artists also take into account the flexibility of raw materials. For instance, since rush is thin and long and flexible, it is often applied to artworks that feature patterns of creeping weeds.

Editor: Catherine