Scherenschnitte

"Scherenschnitt" redirects here. For the play by Paul Pörtner, see Shear Madness.

Scherenschnitte (German pronunciation: [ˈʃeːʁənˌʃnɪtə]), which means "scissor cuts" in German, is the art of paper cutting design. The artwork often has rotational symmetry within the design, and common forms include silhouettes, valentines, and love letters. The art tradition was founded in Switzerland and Germany in the 16th century and was brought to Colonial America in the 18th century by Swiss and German immigrants who settled primarily in Pennsylvania.

See also

• Chinese paper cutting

Further reading

• Gilpin, Sandra. "Scherenschnitte and Fraktur." Pennsylvania Folklife 37.4 (Summer 1988): 190-192.
• Hopf, Claudia. Papercutting: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Learning the Craft. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2007. (ISBN 9780811732697 ISBN 0-8117-3269-X)
• Schaffer, Sharon A. "Scherenschnitte of the Pennsylvania Dutch." Pennsylvania Folklife 29.4 (1980): 14-16.
• Schläpfer-Geiser, Susanne. Scherenschnitte: Designs and Techniques for the Traditional Craft of Papercutting. Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 1996. (ISBN 1887374183, ISBN 978-1-887374-18-7)