Kashmir Handicrafts---III

Kashmir is home of some of the best wood carving done anywhere in the world. Wood carving is done on a variety of objects ranging from furniture ( Tables, chairs, writing desks, dinning tables, nest sets, Toll Buoys, Screens, side Boards etc) to articles of personnel use like jewelry boxes, photo frames and various other articles. Walnut wood is the most common wood used for carving of above items. Kashmir is the only part of India where the Walnut trees grow, its colour, grain and sheen are unique and the carving and cut work that is done on this wood is of the finest quality. Walnut wood from the root portion is almost black and the grain here is much more pronounced than the wood of the trunk, which is lighter in colour. There are several varieties of carvings i.e. deep carving usually with dragon or lotus flower motifs, shallow carving done all over the flat surface open or lattice work, usually depicting the chinar motifs, and semi carving. The advantage of semi carving is that it allows the grain of the wood, to be displayed together with the carver’s skill. Wax polishing brings out the inherent sheen of walnut wood.