Huashupi Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
The peoples of the south mostly entered settled life through pottery, whereas the Oroqen hunters of the north have no history of pottery-making. It is precisely in this gap that birch bark took on the work that should have been done by clay bowls and pots. This line of substitution determined the form of the craft: with neither kiln firing nor wheel shaping, the bark could only be held up into vessels by four manual steps — peeling, boiling, cutting, and sewing — and two kinds of decoration, hammered pressing and cut-and-paste; its waterproof and rot-resistant properties exactly compensated for the shortcoming of having no pottery. Looking at the main categories of boats, baskets, boxes, cases, and bowls, bark vessels cover every scenario of hunting peoples, from water transport to daily storage. Once patterns symbolizing auspiciousness, festivity, peace, and harvest are pressed and carved onto them, the vessels serve at once as tools and as prayers. As the hunting way of life has changed, the raw materials remain but the makers have grown fewer; this branch in the Oroqen Autonomous Banner depends even more on scattered craftsmen to hold the entire chain of process steps together.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Ancient northern hunting and nomadic peoples such as the Donghu, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Khitan, and Jurchen all had eras of pottery-making, whereas peoples such as the Oroqen, Evenki, Daur, and Mongols have no history of pottery-making. Birch bark vessels created by peoples such as the Oroqen, Evenki, and Daur replaced pottery and porcelain in production and daily life, embodying the cultural characteristics of forest hunting peoples. Birch bark has good waterproofing and corrosion-resistant properties; vessels made from it are light, easy to carry, and not easily broken, making them production tools and daily necessities beloved by hunting peoples. They come in diverse forms and shapes, mainly including boats, baskets, boxes, cases, and bowls. These vessels are all sewn together from birch bark with animal sinew and horsehair rope, with various flowers and patterns carved and pressed onto them. They are not only important utensils but also exquisite works of art. The traditional birch bark processing craft has four steps: first, peeling the bark; second, soaking or boiling the bark to soften it; third, cutting and sewing; fourth, decorating with patterns. The decorative techniques include hammered pressing and cut-and-paste; all ethnic peoples decorate their birch bark products with patterns symbolizing auspiciousness, festivity, peace, and harvest. With the development of society, the production and way of life of hunting peoples have changed enormously, hunting culture has gradually declined, and birch bark making craftsmanship has also gradually fallen into decline.
Stripping the bark
Stripping is the first step: a ring is cut above and below with a vertical cut between, and the sheet is lifted off in one piece.
Soaking and boiling the bark
The rough inner face is removed and the bark boiled or steamed so that it softens enough to cut.
Cutting and stitching
Cut pieces are stitched with sinew or horsehair and the seams reinforced; the tightness of the stitching decides whether the vessel leaks.
Sinew and horsehair seams
Sinew from roe deer or elk, or horsehair twisted with hemp, is elastic enough that the seam stretches with moisture instead of splitting.
Beating and appliqué decoration
Decoration is either beaten in or appliquéd, and the motifs stand for good fortune, celebration, peace and harvest.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Birch bark making is a unique handicraft of the northern hunting peoples of China, with strong ethnic characteristics and regional character. It is practiced in the Oroqen Autonomous Banner, Evenki Autonomous Banner, Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner, and Ergun Left Banner (Genhe City) in Inner Mongolia, as well as in the Heilongjiang River valley.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Huashupi Making Craftsmanship · Huashupi Making Craftsmanship · Huashupi Making Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Given that protecting this craft is of extremely important significance, measures should be formulated and put into practice as soon as possible.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Fuzhanxiang 01-0195
- Guobaolin 04-1865
- Wuxusheng 05-2778
- Ajilun
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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