Birch-bark Arts of the Oroqin People in China : Folk Crafts Made by Birch-bark

Abstract

This paper is based on the collection of the information about the traditional birch-bark products, and the classification is carried out by use-function. From the correlation with the shape, material, recipe and content, the peculiarity of the manufacture is also considered as follows: 1. The Oroqin People neither waste the birch-bark nor make the birth dead when cutting. So there has been no infection due to the strict rule for growth, which describes (nature, human, coexistence, and symbiosis). 2. The products are classified into eight categories, each category has its own peculiarity and the common peculiarities are: 1) no transformation, 2) no break, 3) high resistance of humidity, 4) light weight, 5)high durability. 3. The products not only play an important role in daily life but also contain the aesthetic consciousness,the idea of life,religious belief and so on.