Polish
Paper Cuts "Wycinanki"
“Wycinanki”
(pronounced Vee-chee-non-kee) is the Polish word for “paper cut
design”.
Just when and why this art form began to flower in Poland seems to
be a matter of uncertainty.
Some say it goes back to the time when few farm houses had glass
windows.
To keep out the elements, peasant farmers hung sheep skins over the
window openings.
Then, to let in some light and air, they took their sheep shears
and cut small openings in the skins, and these were soon recognised as
decorative as well as functional.
The
most well known modern styles of “Wycinanki” comes from two districts.
One is from the Kurpie district.
This is usually a symmetrical design, cut from a single piece of
coloured paper, folded a single time, with spruce trees and birds as the
most popular motifs.
The second style comes from the area of Lowicz.
It is distinguished by the many layers of brightly coloured paper
used in its composition.
The
examples available here are from the Lowicz area. Visit Art Inspiration by
Polcraft at Peterfield Antique & Shopping Centre, Gosfield, Essex to see lots of examples of this
wonderful craft.
Please
note that whilst many of the examples on the web-site are marked as sold,
we do have a stock of 25cm and 35cm items and will find an item that
closely matches any item marked sold that you wish to order.
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