The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Papercutting or paper cutting is the art of cutting paper designs. The German term for the art form, Scherenschnitte, which means "scissor cuts", describes one of the techniques for cutting, the other being the use of a very sharp knife with the paper on a board. The artwork often has symmetry within the design, and common forms include silhouettes and all sorts of wall plaques. The art has evolved uniquely all over the world to adapt to different cultural styles. The oldest examples are from China of the 6th century.  By the eighth or ninth century, papercutting appeared in West Asia and in Turkey in the 16th century. Within another century, papercutting was being done in most of middle Europe.

Papercutting has been a Jewish art form since the 17th century, connected with various customs and ceremonies and associated with holidays and family life, although today the earliest surviving examples are from the 18th century.  Paper cuts are often decorated Ketubot (marriage contracts), Mizrachs, and other ornamental plaques for Festive occasions.  From the 18th century, papercutting had become a popular form for small religious artifacts such as Mizrachs and Shavuot decorations. In the 20th century, the art of Jewish papercutting was revived in Israel. Today it is most commonly used for Mizrachs and Ketubot.