Papel picado

Papel picado ("perforated paper, literally peckered paper") is a decorative craft made out of paper cut into elaborate designs. It is considered a Mexican folk art. The designs are commonly cut from tissue paper using a guide and small chisels, creating as many as forty banners at a time. Papel picado can also be made by folding tissue paper and using small, sharp scissors. Common themes include birds, floral designs, and skeletons. They are commonly displayed for both secular and religious occasions, such as Easter, Christmas, the Day of the Dead, as well as during weddings, quinceañeras, baptisms, and christenings. In Mexico, papel picado is especially incorporated into altars during the Day of the Dead.

Origins

Papel picado is similar to Chinese paper cutting (which originated in China during the sixth century), called 'jianzhi' (剪紙 or "cut paper"). The two crafts are not exactly the same, as the Chinese version was cut using scissors or knives, while the Mexican form is chiseled. In Mexico, during the middle of the nineteenth century, people were forced to buy products from hacienda stores, where they encountered tissue paper.