|
Wood Carving
Woodcraft
in India bears testimony to the history, art and religion of India
as seen in exquisitely carved monuments and temples of the bygone
era.
India
owes its vast range of woodcraft to the variety of wood available
in the country. In its present form, the craft is an ingenuous combination
of the practical and the aesthetic, a confluence of the traditional
and the modern. The wooden furniture, utensils, wooden images of
deities and traditional decorative articles are finding a special
place among urban households.
Noteworthy
are the wooden boxes for food storage of Himachal Pradesh, elaborately
carved chests of Assam and Gujarat ; traditionally designed furniture
of Punjab and Goa's western-style furniture with oriental designs.
Special mention has to be made of Kashmiri woodcraft with a lovely
grain and natural colour . Kashmir is also noted for its fine latticework
screens, inspired by the latticework in windows of old structures.
Skillful
carvings form a major highlight of Indian woodwork. Especially appealing
are Gujarat carvings where the lotus, parrot, peacock or swan can
be seen in 40 to 50 different shapes, poses and styles on various
items. Similarly, Kerala is known for its wooden elephants, chiselled
in a variety of postures and sizes.
The best
in wood carving is seen in the religious figures. There are innumerable
special occasions throughout the country. when gods and goddesses
from the Hindu pantheon are carved for rituals. Famous among them
are stylised images of Kaliyamardhan (Andhra Pradesh); goddess Gauri
( Rajasthan) and Lord Jagannath (Orissa). Equally notable are the
religious figures in the temples and churches of Kerala.
Tamil
Nadu is known for Rosewood with its rose fragrance and sparkling
ebony black colour. Especially famous are the ornate rosewood tables
of Madurai (Tamil Nadu). Karnataka is popular for sandalwood having
soft texture, honey colouring and fragrant scent. The wood has auspicious
associations . Sandalwood boxes, caskets, photo frames, trays, walking
sticks and whisks are highly appealing and popular - all adorned
with carvings of floral motifs, epic scenes and animal forms.
You’ll find carvers of
wood right through the country. Life in India, one is forced to
acknowledge, simply cannot happen without them. They are so vital
to the Indian way of life:because they model wooden deities; they
decorate our places of worship; they fashion all sorts of utensils
like ladles, cooking spoons, and the critical rolling pins to make
chapatis ; they carve windows and doors of many a home in rural
India; and they make exquisite furniture.
Woodwork goes back a
long time.In the good old days of kings and nawabs, any palace or
haveli worth its name had to have incredibly carved doors, windows
and jalis . The Mysore Palace and the havelis of Old Delhi, Kashmir
and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan are a good example of such work. In recent
times due to lack of appreciation , artisans have turned their hand
to more commercially viable options like artefacts, wooden plaques
and furniture for urban homes. Master craftsmen can, however, still
be found in the states of Kashmir, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu,
Kerala and Karnataka.
Kashmir:- Elaborately worked walnut
lamps, boxes, table tops and screens.
Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh:- Furniture,
decorative items and utensils made from white dudhi wood and the
heavily grained brown shisham.
Rajasthan:- Carved and painted horse,
elephants and parrots.
Karnataka:- Sandalwood and rosewood
boxes and caskets and statues of every imaginable figure of the
Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Christian faiths.
Andhra Pradesh: Images of Lord Venkateswara.
Gujarat, Delhi, Mysore (Karnataka), Hoshiarpur
(Punjab): -Inlay work using coloured woods, horn and even
plastic.
Jaipur (Rajasthan) & Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh):-
Inlay work known as tarkashi using burnished copper or brass
wire which is set in the wood to create geometric or floral patterns.
Special Shopping Destinations:
Kashmir, Gujarat, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
|
