Wood Carving & Inlay

Nagas are excellent woodcarvers. Making using of simple rudimentary tools and implements such as the local dao, hand drill and chisel, skilled craftsmen produce great works of art that local adorn village gates and house posts as well as objects of utility like the common wooden dish.

One of the finest specimen that epitomizes the skill of the Naga craftsman is to be found at Shangnyu village in Mon District. The work of art at Shangnyu consists of a massive wooden panel that has carvings depicting objects of art as well as those of ritual and utility value.

Before embracing Christianity, the Garos used to erect memorials for their deads. Even now the practice is there amongst the non-Christians Garos. The memorials they erect are called ‘Kimas’. Kimas are actually statues engraved in wooden posts, in the shape, form and facial resemblance of the deceased. These wooden statues are clothed with the dress of the dead. The Kimas amply testify the artistic skills of the Garos.

The craftspersons of Malwa, Nimar, Bundelkhand, Sheopur-Kalan, and Rewa make various decorative pieces and home accessories that simply invite you to explore more about the state. Woodcraft items include toys, boxes, bedposts, flower vases, wall hangings, candle stands and the like. Embellished wooden ceilings, doors and window frames form popular items of home décor.

Kerala has one of the richest traditions in wood carving. Temples and palaces are the best preservers of the wood-carving styles of Kerala. Doors, windows and ceilings of most of the ancient houses are testimonial of the high level of craftsmanship and tradition of wood carving. Carvings are made on rosewood, sandalwood, cedar wood and teak. Life-size wood carved figures which are highly stylised with exaggerated features, gestures and postures like the characters of Kathakali dance drama, mythological and religious figures were produced.

The main centre for the craft is Ernakulam district in Kerala. Rose wood and white wood pieces are cut into required sizes and pasted on a plywood base according to the particular design and polished. The brass metal pieces are fixed in different designs to make the final product. The product include Dancing Lady, Peacock, Candle Stand, Star Wheel, Kathakali Heads, Key Stand and Butterflies etc.

The sandalwood craft of Karnataka is known the world over for the sheer dexterity of the woodwork involved. Highly skilled workers, primarily the gudigar families of Shimoga, Uttara Kannada and Mysore districts specialize in this craft of intricate carvings on sandal wood. Due to extensive plantation of Sandal wood trees, in about 8000 kilometers, particularly in North Karnataka, this craft has taken roots in those parts.

With abundant forests, Jharkhand produces woodworks, which are decorative items as well as used in daily lives. The range consists of door panels, boxes, windows, wooden spoons etc.

Khatam-band is a speciality in Kashmir woodwork and comprises ceilings of rooms, made from thin panels of pine wood, cut into geometrical designs. Builders of houseboats have kept this old craft alive.

In Kashmir the shrine of Khwaja Naqshband, near the Jama Masjid of Srinagar, presents the best example of this craft.

Forests all over the state abound in pine and deodar, besides walnut, horse chestnut and wild black mulberry. Wood has been used to great effect in temples and lavishly built palaces. The steep-roofed pine temples of northern HP often bear relief figures carved on their outer walls. Intricately carved seats, doors, windows and panels speak volumes of the craftspersons’ skill. The Bhimakali Temple of Sarahan is a perfect product of the kind.

Woodcarving is still a living tradition in HP. Pahari artisans use wood to make intricate jalis, trelliswork or perforated reliefs that filter light, transforming the interiors of a building with the play of light and shade and balancing mass with delicacy.

The art of making wooden furniture is practiced primarily in southern Gujarat. Sankheda, near Vadodara, is known for its lacquered wooden furniture. The craft of making wooden items includes rounding the wood with tools. This is followed by painting it with floral and abstract designs in bright shades of gold, silver, maroon, green, vermilion, and brown. This is done with the help of sticks dipped in a colored mixture of dyes, powdered zinc, lac and resin. Mahuva, Surat and Kutch are also famous for making lacquered furniture similar to that of Sankheda.