Click on an image to enlarge it.

Paper cutting
 
Hand painted box
Donated to the gallery from members of the Polish community 

‘I remember doing this kind of thing at home, we used to do them at holiday times, Easter and Christmas.’
 
Papercutting is a folk art tradition in Poland – Wycinanki. It originated from shepherds cutting designs from scrap pieces of cloth and wood while they were outside in bad weather. When paper became more widely available in the 19^th Century people began to do this to decorate their homes. Intricate patterns are cut with scissors and placed on the walls or beams make the room colourful. The patterns are complex and are made by repeating symmetrical patterns, folk symbols that have links to nature.
 
It was at Easter and Christmas time that the old patterns were taken down and new ones made to replace them.  

This style of pattern was also used to decorate other objects in the home an example can be seen with the handpainted box.