Pakistani Wood Carvings Artisans
Pakistani Wood Carvings Artisans carve numerous shapes, sculptures, scenery, and other designs on different types of woods for aesthetic appeal. Art is famous throughout the world for its distinctive artistic features and lower cost. Many Pakistani artisans are evolving the tradition of this ancient craft, as its origin is from many thousand years old.
People mostly use wood carvings for the decoration of homes, museums, and other essential places. Subsequently, the artisans use a number of tools for the engravement of designs on wood, which they operate according to their individualistic talent for making unique furniture, sculptures, decorations, and other interior decorations.
However, these handcrafted pieces are acknowledged for the love and care the artisans have invested in the formation of these products. They work day and night to achieve the highest quality of these wood cuttings, as this field of work consumes a considerable amount of manpower for wood cutting and design engraving.
Pakistani Wood Carvings Artisans
Nevertheless, Pakistan has a variety of craftsmen who are highly skilled and learned in the field of wood carvings. These artisans vary in individualistic features from region to region and are preserving this ancient art of their ancestors.
The most famous Pakistani wood carvings artisans are found in Sawat and Chiniot of Pakistan, however, there are also other regions of Gujrat, D.I. Khan, Peshawar, Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Kashmir, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, and Hala districts are also having expert craftsmen.
Pakistan has a vast range of cultures and traditions throughout the state, which are a rich history of artisan crafts and talents. People from all over the world acknowledge the skills and handcrafts of carved furniture, wood cuttings, and other interior wood decoration.
Most people from rural areas are learned and expert craftsmen of wood, whose art is as unique and artistic as any professional artist of wood who charges very expensive for his work.
However, Pakistani artists are not earning properly due to a lack of proper guidance from the government. In comparison, their art is acknowledged throughout the world because their work is unique and eye-catching.
On the other hand, the skills of these craftsmen and carpenters are prevalent, which helps them construct daily life using wooden work and furniture. These artisans pour their heart and soul into the love with which they create these wooden frames and interior furniture to maintain the quality of the product. Their art is as unique and valuable as any other hand-engraving artisan. Consequently, their designs and patterns vary from region to region.
Each part of Pakistan has a unique culture and tradition of the woodwork they use. The entrepreneurs are earning very high incomes from these products as they sell these aesthetic designs and products throughout the cities where people provide a more elevated and valuable price for these distinctive art pieces.
Subsequently, these pieces are used for decoration, while their sole purpose is as furniture for the necessities of life. That is why the scope of this art in Pakistan and throughout the world is very high. Furthermore, there are five basic styles of wood carving in Pakistan, which are as follows;
- Lattice carving: This style is done on screens with delicate wood cutwork.
- Undercut: This style involves woodwork that is raised and projected.
- Deep carving: This style of woodwork involves sculptures of engraved wood.
- Engrave Carving: This style of woodwork involves central engraved or carved motifs.
- Plain Carving: This is the simplest form of wood carving, which could be done according to the individual features of any artisan.
Scope of Wood Carvings
The demand for artisan woodwork throughout Pakistan is very high, as there is a variety of highly skilled craftsmen located in the different regions of Pakistan who are acknowledged based on their art and craftsmanship. For them, the art of woodwork is not a profession but an obligation to their traditions and especially to their master who passed their skill to them.
Sometimes these artisans in a group start their business in cities where they earn a handsome amount of their living.
However, most of the time the company is started by entrepreneurs who invest their money in the resources and income of these craftsmen and set up brands through which they earn significantly higher prices on the labor of other workers.
Moreover, the scope of wood in Pakistan is very high, due to these resources, many craftsmen’s products are engraved and sold throughout the world quickly.
The international trade value of these wood cuttings and furniture is also good, as Pakistan is mostly famous for its craftsmanship and handicrafts worldwide.
The elegant work and artistic inlays of floral and geometric patterns of the artisan in Pakistan are the benchmark motifs of the workers. The art is practiced most popularly in the regions of Swat and Chiniot of Pakistan.
Furthermore, Pakistan is taking several steps to evolve its wood-cutting and artifact industries, which will help these arts and crafts to flourish with time. As Pakistan is rich in talented artisans and cultural methods, the talent of these artisans is predominantly shown in their carvings and crafts.
In addition to furniture and wood sculptures, there are also wooden ceilings, and frames for interior decoration which have great demand among people and businesses.
Hence, there is a greater scope and trade value of wooden artifacts and craftsmanship in Pakistan, which also helps the economy of Pakistan to develop.
Materials used for Wood Carving in Pakistan
In the art of wood carving, the selection of the type of wood is the basic technique on which all the processes depend. Subsequently, the material used is decided by overlooking the design and pattern on which artisans work.
Some woods are very intricate and require hard labor which the artisan would use for specific products that should be long-lasting. While some woods are very soft and easy to use, they are also having some defects as they could not last long. There are a variety of woods used for wood carving crafts, some of which are as follows;
Basswood
This is the most popular choice of softwood used by beginner artisans, as it is carved easily due to its soft and malleable nature. On the other hand, this type could be easily found and is more inexpensive than different wood types. This white wood could easily be used for intricate and free patterns. Subsequently, the wood is used locally for low-cost products, woodwork, guitars, bass, and other instrumental structures.
Aspen
This is another type of white wood used for carving artisan patterns easily. Subsequently, it is considered better than basswood and is still inexpensive.
Butternut
This is another quickly carving wood used by artisans for furniture making and other aesthetic decorative wood products. It is browner in color than the above two wood types and is related to walnut wood but is more malleable and more comfortable to carve. This would have the ability to be polished easily; however, sometimes have wormholes in it.
Black Walnut
This type of wood is intricate to carve and requires sharp tools for engravement. However, its aesthetic color scheme and better quality made it a popular choice for people to make furniture, gunstocks, and wood sculptures with it. The quality of this wood and malleability is higher than basswood, and butternut.
Oak
This is the most popular choice of hardwood, as its durability and color scheme are perfect. Subsequently, this wood is the best choice for furniture with stable features and high durability.
However, oak is the most challenging type of wood that could make it difficult for the artisan while carve it. For instance, white oak is used to create barrels containing wine as the wood is very hard.
Fruitwood
This is the wood taken from fruit trees of apples, cherries, pears, and other grained fruits. These woods are of attractive color scheme and are used for the manufacture of bowls, spoons, and other carved crockery products.
White Pine
This is another soft white wood tree that is used for carving furniture and other malleable products. Usually, it is used for making furniture, because its material helps in maintaining the shape of the carved artifact.
Balsa
This type of wood is most commonly used for whittling, as it is malleable, inexpensive, and readily available. However, the wood should be kept dry for carving and is used for crafting, and engraving patterns on dollhouses, ornaments, wooden frames, and other pieces.
Regions of Pakistan for Wood Carving
Pakistan is a cultural craftsmen-skilled country, where there are different wood carvers present in different regions and provinces. Following are different areas where many skilled artisans pursue wood carving as a profession and whose wood products are famous nationally and internationally;
Gujrat (Punjab province)
If people are looking for rosewood (Sheesham) carved furniture then they should research Gujrati furniture, which is carved on hardwood and is an intricate process that consumes time and energy.
Chiniot (Punjab province)
Chiniot is very popular for its brass and bone inlay wood carvings, while the craftsmen of Chiniot are famous for their latticework of floral and geometrical patterns on wood which is used for engraving doors, balconies, and other interior carvings.
Sawat (KPK province)
The wood-carved furniture of Sawat is famous throughout the whole country. However, the specialty of the furniture is heavily carved legs of chairs, stools, and other products.
D I Khan (D G Khan)
This region is famous for small wooden decorations, jewelry boxes, hanging adornments, and other household decorative pieces.
Peshawar (KPK province)
The woodwork of latticework, engraved decorative indoor and outdoor products, interior ceilings, wooden doors, balconies, and other carved wooden work is done throughout this region.
Lahore, Gujranwala (Punjab province)
The craftsmen of Lahore and Gujranwala are highly resourceful and know the techniques used in ancient times of the Mughal empire and also the western Victorian style of wood carving.
Rawalpindi, (Punjab province)
This city of Punjab is also famous for its large wooden door carved by skilled artisans, also the techniques of modern and ancient designs for furniture are practiced here.
Kashmir, Hyderabad, Hala, and Jacobabad districts (Sindh province)
These regions are famous for home decoration items like lamps, boxes, carved hard beds (Char Pai), traditional furniture of sofa sets, bed sets, and other products.
Giving a Pakistani Woodcarving
Pakistani wood artisans are quick to point out that the International Day of Forests falls on the 21st of March. This is a significant day for those who work with wood, as it highlights the importance of forests in our world.
Pakistani woodcarvers are some of the most skilled in the world, and their intricate works of art are a testament to the beauty of forests.
On this day, we celebrate Pakistani woodcarvers and their artistry, and we remind ourselves of the importance of preserving our forests.
There are many more national days when you can give a Pakistani Woodcarving than the International Day of Forests or World Wood Day.
Summary Woodcarvings from Pakistan
The art of artisan woodwork in Pakistan is very ancient and divine and is advancing with time.
Even today, when the world has developed in its technology, the importance and love of this artistic craftsmanship are still alive in the hearts of the people of Pakistan.
The artisans invest all their passion, time, and energy in providing the unique and best designs of wood carving so that their ancestor’s craft would be valued in the world.
They use a variety of tools for the careful engravement of the adornments. Hence, the work of these compassionate workers of Pakistan is acknowledged throughout the world with great love and affection. People worldwide and in the country value their work and pay higher prices for their dedication, as woodwork is not only an accessory for them but also a necessity.
Pakistan’s most famous woodwork and craftsmen could be easily found in different regions of Chiniot, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sindh, Jacobabad, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Sawat, and other regions.
Although Pakistan has a prosperous cultural crafts civilization, there is still scope for the betterment of the field as artisans are being exploited here by many entrepreneurs due to fewer resources.
However, many artisans are working on their own and are getting higher and higher status.
Moreover, Pakistani artisan wood crafts vary from region to region based on their designs and materials.
And to preserve this culture of wood carving, people are starting online sites for selling these valuable products.
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