Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Arts
  • Cinema
  • Music
  • Events
  • Portrait
  • Reviews
  • Performing Arts

Woodcarving: Wonderful art form of Kashmir and Turkey

by Ambreen Yousuf

Dec 26, 2021 - 3:44 pm GMT+3
A guest room handcrafted out of wood in Gümüşhane, northeastern Turkey, June, 29, 2020. (AA)
A guest room handcrafted out of wood in Gümüşhane, northeastern Turkey, June, 29, 2020. (AA)
by Ambreen Yousuf Dec 26, 2021 3:44 pm

One of the most significant branches contributing to the wealth of Turkish and Kashmiri art is the woodworking that displays fine aesthetic spirit in the best way. Let's learn more about the place of this art in both cultures 

RECOMMENDED
Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe) in Screen Gems' "The Pope's Exorcist." (Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures)

Review: How much of 'The Pope's Exorcist' is real?

RUSSELL-CROWE

The magnificence of Kashmir’s art and craft is remarkably evident in a unique cultural and traditional legacy that has been preserved for centuries. From embroidery to carpets and rugs, from architecture to papier-mache, the region's art present a perfect and complete blend of diverse cultures, traditions and faiths.

This uniqueness of Kashmiri arts is related to different features of the region, including the geographical location, distinctive flora and fauna, cold climate and different topography. I want to talk about woodcarving, which is an art form shaped around the distinct climate of Kashmir, this time.

In Kashmir, people prefer building concrete houses insulated with wooden interiors to preserve internal warmth during severe winter. The decor of the house is also created and maintained in such a manner that it provides comfort and harmonizes with the ambiance. In line with the decorations, the room interiors are organized into three steps as wooden flooring (the lower flooring of room), wooden paneling (the sidewalls of the room) and khatamband (the ceiling decoration). Furthermore, the detailed carving is done on doors and windows.

Craftsman Ghulam Nabi Dar shows a hand-carved wooden box in Kashmir, March 14, 2021. (AA)
Craftsman Ghulam Nabi Dar shows a hand-carved wooden box in Kashmir, March 14, 2021. (AA)

While people were benefitting from the wood due to its insulating features, they enhanced its beauty over time by carving it with the help of sharp hand tools, and the artwork came to be known as wooden carving. Like many other handicrafts, wood carving, along with pinjrakari – the art of making screens of entwined wooden strips shaping perplexing geometric designs – and khatamband – the art of intricately carved ceilings – were introduced in the Kashmiri valley by Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, who arrived from Persia with skilled craftsmen in the 14th century. Named honorifically "Shah-e-Hamadan," meaning "King of Hamadan," this Sufi Muslim was instrumental in both spreading Islam and introducing many crafts and industries to Kashmir. With the help of his skilled artisans, Shah-e-Hamadan imparted the knowledge of wood carving to local people, and this art is now based on the set of a traditional body of knowledge. Nonetheless, the State Handicraft Department acts as an overarching institution that reflects Kashmiri handicrafts' artistic representation and traditions.

Artistic sensation from Kashmir to Turkey

Kashmir and Turkey have many important common points in terms of cultural aspect. From handwoven carpets to embroidery, many artistic traditions and heritage are similarly sustained in both regions. Woodcarving also manifests considerable historical importance in Turkey along with Kashmir.

The art of woodcarving gained popularity among Turks, especially after the adoption of Islam.

An old teak wood carving from Turkey. (Shutterstock)
An old teak wood carving from Turkey. (Shutterstock)

Woodcarving, which is observed both in architecture and on decorative objects, produced some of its most beautiful examples in the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. In the Seljuk period, a rich decorative style, consisting of floral and geometric designs and inscriptions, is observed in woodworks. In the Ottoman period, woodworks ornamented not only decorative objects but also architecture. The best examples of woodcarving were observed in architecture in columns and beams, as decorative elements on doors and shutters, pulpits, mosque niches, ceiling ornaments and balcony railings along with on furniture. In Kashmir, the woodcarving technique is also used to decorate home interiors, especially doors and windows, facades of mosques, Muslim shrines, palaces, houseboats, and more recently inside offices and hotel rooms.

While searching for the details of Turkish woodcarving, I have learned some interesting things related to this art. For example, Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II appreciated woodcarving the most and he was a master woodcarver. His precious carved works were sent as gifts to foreign politicians. Secondly, the similarity between a Turkish technique called “kündekari” and Kashmiri “khatamband” drew my attention. In this technique, pieces of wood of various geometric shapes decorated with vegetal motifs are placed side by side with utmost dexterity. Khatamband is another similar technique of adjusting or fitting small, decorated pieces of worked wood together into a ceiling. In both khatamband and kündekari, the joining of pieces is done without the use of nails or glue. Dating back to 1873, kündenkari embroidered rooms are still present in Turkey’s northeastern province of Gümüşhane. This ingenious wood art is considered a masterpiece of Turkish folk art.

Craftsman Ghulam Nabi Dar carves wood in Kashmir, March 14, 2021. (AA)
Craftsman Ghulam Nabi Dar carves wood in Kashmir, March 14, 2021. (AA)

Challenges

As one more common point, artists from both Kashmir and Turkey face similar challenges of seeing their traditional handwork potentially replaced by machine work. Handwork is a time-consuming, delicate and hectic process, while machine work can be finished within a few days without getting exhausted. Since hand-worked artifacts are expensive, many people prefer machine-made objects over them.

Due to increased deforestation, artists face a tremendous shortage of timber required to make furniture. Nonetheless, while the art form has not lost its glory, younger generations feel discouraged working as traditional artists. Besides the socio-economic drawbacks of the profession, lack of governmental support has further made this artistic choice worrisome, and the associated artists remain the poorest of the communities in Kashmir. Despite multiple challenges, various people still find fun and passion in woodcarving.

RECOMMENDED
Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe) in Screen Gems' "The Pope's Exorcist." (Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures)

Review: How much of 'The Pope's Exorcist' is real?

RUSSELL-CROWE
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Dec 26, 2021 5:16 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    arts&crafts woodcarving kashmir turkey
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Percival Lugue, who has the Guinness world record for the largest fast-food toy collection, poses with his toy collection in his home in Apalit, Pampanga province, Philippines, April 20, 2021. (REUTERS Photo)

    Filipino man collects record 200,000 toys from fast-food chains

    TOY-MANIA
    Parts of the newly completed last section of the Northern Marmara Motorway, Istanbul, Turkey, May 19, 2021. (DHA Photo)

    Turkey raises speed limits on highways starting from July

    SPEED-LIMIT

    Türkiye's 1st domestic heavy-class attack helicopter starts engine

    heavy-class-attack-helicopter

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    Church of St. Peter near Antakya, Hatay province, southern Turkey.
    Sacred and biblical Christian sites in Turkey
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021