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Two paper images (2.5 x 4.5'' each) ; colored; A Cao Cao is a character of Peking Opera, and represents a cruel and powerful prime minister in the Three Kingdoms (220 A.D.-280 A.D.). Papercutting is one of China's most popular folkarts. It dates back to the Han dynasty (206 B.C - 221 A.D) when paper was invented. In the countryside, only women and girls made papercuts. Traditionally, papercutting was one of the crafts that girls were taught, and skill at this was often used to judge brides. In the past, various paper objects and figures, including papercuts of Chinese characters, were burned in the funeral ceremony and buried with the dead. They also often served as decorations for sacrifical offerings to the ancestors and Buddha. Today, papercuts are chiefly used as decoration in homes and on presents.

4 x 6'' paper ; framed to 6.25 x 8.25''; Luan shu-rong Lady is a member of the Chinese Folk paper-cut handiwork council. She can cut paper without draft or looking at it. Some foreigners call her ''the magic artist.'' She once visited Brazil on behalf of the Chinese artists of paper-cut and made on-the-spot demonstrations. It made a stir in the whole country of Brazil. Her works have won prizes many times in China. Many lovers of paper-cut from the US, Japan, France, and other countries want to buy her works.