Indian National Trust for Art and Heritage - INTACH Jammu and Kashmir Chapter

INTACH

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage - Jammu and Kashmir Chapter

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WALNUT WOOD CARVING

WOOD CARVING:

The wood carver may be directly dealing with client or may carve an object on the basis of his own liking. In the first case the carver along with the client fixes the pattern, motif and the nature of the carving to be employed based on the clients criteria in terms of preference for some design and the cost involved. In the second scenario the carver independently fixes these parameters with the hope that the finished object will fetch him the requisite market value. Once the design i.e. the nature of the motif or motifs to be rendered is finalized, the naqash sketches the required motif on the wood by means of pencil. The motif is traced on the basis of artistic memory alone. The only geometrical tools used traditionally and also by most of the senior craftsmen in the present day scenario or ease of tracing the motif are the compass and the angle. Stencils or khakas are only used in case the carver has to make a trophy or a regimental shield. Round and oval shaped bowls which are made from a single piece of wood generally manufactured by the naqash himself; wherein the wood is first immersed in water and then chiseled out in required shape. The same is the case when human figures are to be rendered in wood. The outline of the motif is then chiseled out from the wood based upon the required depth of work to be achieved. Thus the carving can be padrey i.e flat or dunaray comprising 2 layers or sat naray, which is basically, a variation of under cut carving. The carving is carried out with the help of a wooden mallet (khunt) and a large number of tools some available in the market and others made locally by the craftsmen themselves.



	Different styles of wood carving; from top to bottom: Undercut, shallow carving and plain carving

The wooden mallet varies in weight from ¾ kg to 1 ½ kg. The weight of the mallet required depends on the nature of the carving to be done with the lighter mallet used for finer and intricate work. The various stages involved in the carving process are:

Dagun: This involves the broad delineating of the motif from the surrounding surface. The basic motif is carved out with the inner intricacies.

Zamin Kadun: This involves deeper digging around the motif so as to obtain the required depth of the relief.

Guzar: This involves broader outlining of the inner intricacies within the motif.

Kanjiwar: This is a major stage in the carving and involves carving along the sides or edges of the motif so as to obtain depth that gives the impression of 3-dimensional relief work.

Guzar Safai: The edges are rounded of to the required shape.

After this process the wood is smoothened with sand paper. The various sand papers used are No.60, No. 80, No. 100, No. 120.

Sumbi Duin: This process involves the usage of nails with specially crafted teeth at the edges which are gently used for rendering the surface with uniform patterns comprising a series of dots.

Dagi Kil: This is a process almost similar to the previous one( sumbe duin) the only difference being the nature of the mark left by the file (nail) which in this case is made of lines rather than dots. The lines may be straight, wavy or semi circular in nature.

APPLICATION OF POLISH: The object is then applied with a coat of wax polish by the naqash or the roshangar. Before the application of the polish the wood is once again sand papered. In case some darker or lighter tone is to be imparted to the wood then powder colours mixed with turpentine are applied.

Some of the colours that are applied are:

Surkh Amber (dark red)
Zard Amber (yellow)
Turki Amber (between red and maroon)
Siah Amber (black)
Nais Amber (brown)

The wood is then rubbed with a semi precious stone locally known as pulet fastened at the end of a specially crafted penholder (kalam). After the

A master craftsman (naqash) at work

application of pulet wax polish (mansion) is applied with the help of cotton rags (khedar) and left to dry 3 hrs to 24 hrs. In case of high relief work the polish is applied in between the inner intricacies by means of brush. Wax polish brings out the inherent sheen of walnut wood while varnish obscures the grain of the wood and alters its hue. It is for this reason varnish is avoided. The polish is applied in 5 to 6 coats with the last coat comprising light application of polish and known as marun pahash. There after khedar is vigorously applied to the wood to obtain the requisite luster.

Most of the floral depictions employed in the wood carving show a remarkable resemblance with similar depictions in papier mache, with the skill of carving replacing the art of brushwork to obtain the desired depth.

Living Heritage