Beads Tamasai and Shitoki as a Factor of Ethnic and Cultural Identity of the Ainu People

Abstract

The article examines the Ainu beads tamasai and shitoki as cultural artifacts that help preserve and popularize the ethnic and cultural identity of the people. These ornaments are part of the material and spiritual culture of the Ainu as well as an expression of their religious, ethical, and aesthetic views and social belonging. Their appearance became possible due to cultural and historical ties with the peoples of the Pacific region. Tamasai and shitoki reflected the artistic taste and aesthetic views that influenced the formation of identity of Ainu’s traditional arts and crafts. These beads, known among neighboring peoples as “Ainu beads”, are today a source of information about the material for, and method of, their manufacturing, the chronological framework, the environment and conditions of their existence. They represent a kind of ethnic marker distinguished by its symbolism and pronounced functional
significance.