Cut-out from the Łowicz region

A round colourful cut-out featuring two roosters. It was made by sticking layers of coloured paper gradually onto one another, starting from the biggest, and ending with the smallest pieces. The base is a uniform template made of black paper stuck onto white cardboard.
The paper cut-out, a festive decoration of a rustic chamber, is a symbol of the Polish folk art. Its origins go back to the 19th century, and are associated with the invention of the coloured glossy paper. Patterns were cut out in the paper using sheep shears, and stuck directly onto the interior walls, stoves, or ceiling beams of peasant cottages. The art flourished mainly in the Łowicz and Kurpie region.
Characteristic features of the Łowicz cut-out: multi-coloured, symmetrical, usually full of roosters, flowers and leaves, created from many layers of coloured paper placed onto one another, cut out with precision, and glued onto a basic template. There are three forms of the Łowicz cut-out: kodra (round), tasiemka (elongated), and gwiozda (resembling a snowflake). Characteristic features of the Kurpie cut-out: rather small in size, one-coloured, usually dark (black, navy-blue, dark green). The main forms are: leluja (resembling a tree), stars, ribbons, and zielki (resembling potted plants).