Oroqen Animal Skin Products And Technology

As we know, human development was inseparable from flesh-eating and skin clothing, the history of living with the original natural material collection、fishing and hunting. Until the last century before 1950, the Oroqen traditional culture of living with nomadic and hunting, could be said that it remains of early human cultures, but after have been in a long historical development, especially through the Qing Dynasty, gradually formed a unique ethnic culture Orogen.

The original self-sufficient economic life of Oroqen maintained by hunting. The colorful skins products which are important part of Oroqen hunting culture. Oroqen skin products which have two processes to complete, one is "mature", complete with natural materials and methods, make skins into leather; second is finished the product with complete animal skin sewing by animal tendon line.

The process of mature small animal(roe deer, otter, lynx or other small animals) skin. First, dry to skin about eighth degrees, use knife and shave off the extra meat and debris, and then use the liver or brain smear to the surface of the skin, then spray some water and rolled them up, bored on a day or two, in order to get rid of rotten meat and fat internally.

Open skin when mature to leather, put it on the legs, the leather front with two toes clampingFirst, gear with a tool "Mao Dan" scrap in the face of skin repeated in order to remove the surface residues of skin.Then scraping with the tool "Hedler" repeated, until the leather tanning to the white and soft, finally stretch leather well. Also with Another way to mature that is roll up the wet leather, and then use the tool "Maodan" "Hedler," tanning scratch repeated. Reputed that this methods no better than the methods with mashed liver or brain.
Mature to leather was very hard work, especially for large animals such as jail, bear and deer, need to use "wood hay cutter" (Orogen language called Taklawen) , cut repeated to leather soft, then wsu the tool "Wu" scrape off the excess leather on flesh, the rest of the way same as small leather.

There will be a material since leather matured well done. Sewing with the line made of tendons from roe deer, deer and jail, or their dried punched spine on both sides, this line is very strong.Animal skin products are the important basis substances for nomadic life of Oroqen, used widely. In the skins, the most used by Oroqen is roe deer skin which easy to process, but also has the characteristics of wearable and warm.

Manufacture animal skin products are the main labor of Oroqen women, there always have "leather work " all the year round.They made different roe deer skin clothing with different seasons roe deer skin.Made hat by roe deer head, boots(“Qihami”) and tick by legs.Made men and women leather gloves with roe deer skin; made large leather bag(Kapican) with roe deer skin, jail leather, deerskin, raccoon, wild boar skin.Made pocket which load food and dried meat with roe deer skin or jail skins; made a small backpack, smoke pocket, tobacco purse, clothing and so on which all with roe deer skin. Skins products in everywhere of Oroqen hunter’s life.
Oroqen skin products have another characteristic which most have decorative patterns, patterns inlaid with fur, leather edition background, and embroidery techniques. Exquisite workmanship and unique style to none.

Oroqen skin products not only practical, but also have a high decorative and aesthetic value unique crafts.