Birch bark: features and application in folk art

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Birch bark has been encountered by everyone who has been in the forest at least once. People have long noted the durability of birch bark, its resistance to the process of decay. It was placed under the crown of the hut to protect the lower logs from moisture.

Applications

Birch bark was used to make waterproof and durable shoes. Boats were sheathed with birch bark, and tueski were made from this material for storing milk and kvass.

In ancient Russia, birch bark was used as paper. It is thanks to the strength of this material that samples of ancient Russian writing have survived to this day. Scientists have been able, by studying these documents, to look into the past.

Folk crafts

Birch bark weaving has an amazing appeal. This natural material seems to have magical powers. Anyone who at least once tried to create a birch bark object will no longer be able to break away from this type of artisticfishing.

Birch bark weaving was considered a traditional craft in peasant families. Today, you can also meet craftsmen, mainly in rural areas. The secrets of making products from birch bark have always been carefully passed down from generation to generation.

Birch bark has always been a reliable companion of the ancient Slavs. It served as a material for the manufacture of shoes, decorative ornaments were made from it, food was stored in it, and people wrote on it.

Relevance of the issue

Birch bark is that thread with the past that allows modern man to restore the lost connection with genuine Russian traditions. Today's teenagers learn about the activities of their ancestors, which allows you to maintain a connection between generations. At present, products made from birch bark make it possible to form patriotic qualities in the younger generation, to educate children in accuracy, patience, and determination. Making a neat product requires a good memory and creative thinking from the master.

Russian beauty - birch

Birch bark is a favorite material for creativity for many modern craftswomen. In Russia, this tree has always been considered a symbol of spring and the Motherland. The birch was endowed with affectionate epithets, called white, curly, slender. The branches of this tree were decorated with a red corner in the hut. Our ancestors believed that birch sap has healing properties, it positively affects the functioning of the body.

Benefitbirch bark products

Birch bark does not allow air and moisture to pass through, it is resistant to decay. These remarkable properties of birch bark have made it a sought-after material for creating various folk art items. With proper dressing, this material is not inferior in flexibility and elasticity to natural leather. In ancient Russia, birch bark was used mainly to create household items. For example, boxes (pesteri) were woven from this material, tueski were created. Long narrow ribbons, which were removed from birch trees in spring, were used to weave baskets. Birch-bark shoes were in great demand: boots, galoshes, bast shoes. In order to show the peculiarities of the region in which the shoes were woven, the products were decorated with various ornaments and patterns.

During the Great Patriotic War, partisans who had no paper used birch bark to print newspapers and transmit ciphers.

After distillation, a black liquid was obtained from birch bark - tar. They polished their boots, keeping the skin from cracking. Tar was smeared on door hinges, cart wheels. In folk medicine, this substance was used to treat various skin diseases. Nowadays, tar is an integral component of Vishnevsky's ointment. People who chewed birch bark had strong and he althy teeth. Brest was used as a healing patch for burns and cuts.

The bactericidal properties and hygroscopicity of this material did not allow milk to go sour in birch bark. The oil in them did not acquire an aftertaste, remained fresh and tasty.

Important aspects

Birch bark is a versatile material that can be used in construction, food storage, and shoe making. Its preparation is carried out in early spring, so that it is easily separated from the bark of a birch swollen with sap. Taking into account the quality of the material, several types of blanks are distinguished.

Plast birch bark are pieces, layers of birch, which are limited to the circumference of a tree trunk. It is used for weaving small souvenirs created from a single piece. With the help of a knife, a neat vertical incision is made so as not to damage the bast layer. With a knife-jamb, the edge of the layer is separated from the tree, then it is completely removed. Remove dirt and moss from the top.

To create large birch bark products, long spiral ribbons are used. In order for their length to be several meters, several spiral cuts of a certain width must be made around the trunk, from top to bottom. The tapes are rolled up, the front part is placed inside, leaving a small hole for ventilation.

The process of preparing a cylinder for weaving tuesca is considered the most laborious. Not every birch can be used for such purposes. The trunk must be smooth and clean, free from cracks and burrs. It is cut down, then the knotty sections are removed, and in even places circular cuts are made with thick steel wire.

Then the birch bark is pulled off, getting a solid cylindrical billet. When preparing the material for the future, it must be stored in a cool, dry place, avoiding direct sunlight.rays. In dampness, mold appears on the birch bark, it becomes unsuitable for work.