The uniqueness of each handicraft showers a sense of charm over the Valley of Kashmir throughout the times of culture. Beyond the heritage, there lives a place where the glory of walnut wood is cherished. That is Kashmir! Sensing the rich culture and traditions, the bounty of walnut wood escapes a luxurious breath. Walnut wood is procured from the walnut tree. It is a legacy of Kashmir that walnut trees grow here only at such a high altitude. Walnut trees can live between 300 and 1000 years. Walnut wood carving is an ornamental and intricate craft that is unique to Kashmir due to the abundance of walnut trees there.
The craft witnesses the beauty of intricate wood carving as well as the plain use of walnut wood. It is used for home decor as well as for utility purposes. Walnut wood craft, beautifully defined in the realms of Kashmir Valley, oozes luxury in every direction. In addition, Kashmir is now one of the few places in the world where walnut trees are present at an altitude of 5500–7500 feet above sea level.
How did Walnut Wood Craft come into being?
The saga of woodcrafting began in the 15th century when a saint from the Middle East travelled to Kashmir to spread the holy message. He was accompanied by 700 craftsmen to disseminate knowledge of handicrafts. During the reign of Zain-ul-Abideen, Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom is also said to have introduced walnut woodworking to Kashmir. The people of Kashmir Valley learned quickly how to present their diligence with precision. The craft was enriched by the creativity of the artisans of Kashmir. The skill honours the past while presenting the joy of new modern designs in a variety of ways.
Walnut Wood Crafting Styles
There are two ways of crafting walnut wood: carving and using plain walnut wood for making masterpieces for utility. Plain walnut wood is stacked and given a finish as desired. Then, the carpenters work relentlessly with high precision to craft beautiful products for utility purposes. In traditional times, walnut wood jewellery boxes and frames were crafted. Adding to the traditional times, there are contemporary designs crafted through the beauty of walnut wood, like laptop stands, tablet stands, shawl boxes, Bluetooth speaker cases, etc. Beyond the definition of “heritage,” the contemporary styles add a new look to the beauty of walnut wood.
Walnut Wood Carving begins
Woodcrafting is broadly done using different types of wood, viz., walnut wood and deodar wood. The forests of the Kashmir Valley have an abundance of both types of wood. Also, walnut wood is only found in Kashmir. In walnut woodcrafting, the process of carving the wood is an incredible journey for this Kashmiri handicraft. Wood carving is an etching of the wooden surface with chisels and tools to carve out a design (Naqsh). The carving is mainly done on walnut wood. The walnut wood used in the craft comes from trees that are over 300 years old. The walnut tree is extremely hard and durable. Also, its close and even texture allows artisans to create intricate and detailed work.
There are mainly 4 types of walnut trees used for carving: Wantu, Dunu, Kakazi, and Khanak. The walnut wood craft begins by seasoning the walnut wood for 2 years. Then the woodcarver (Karigar) sketches the design on the wood surface. The process is called “Dagun.” Afterwards, the design is carved out with different chisels. It is referred to as “Zamin Kaddun.” In addition, there are four main types of carving: plain, raised, undercut, and engraved. The intricate designs carved are simply the work of artisans’ hands. The Karkhanas (workshops) of the Walnut wood Carving are filled with the joy of artisans. Therefore, they work meticulously on the masterpieces while humming the Kashmiri songs. Henceforth, the beauty of walnut wood explains the rich supremacy of Kashmir.
The traditional tools used by generations of artisans are chisels of different types (Waathlavun), planers (randha), proper measuring tape (Phhet gaz), L-angle scales, and wooden scales (khat chhal). With these tools, the proper carving is done on the design marked by Naqash. Also, there are several motifs used in walnut wood carving in traditional crafts. There are Chinars, animals, dragons, hangul (goat), trees, florals like lotuses, etc.
Pioneer of Walnut Wood Craft
Kashmers.com confers the Kashmir Valley with high supremacy in walnut woodcraft. We suffuse the beauty of intricacy into the most contemporary styles. To cater to the world of Gen Z, we enhance each step of our crafting with a rich culture. The wide array of designs in carved walnut wood blesses each masterpiece with the intricacy of luxury. Therefore, the endless products that are well suited for home decor and utility make your way of living more luxurious with ease. We manage to ethically craft the walnut wood by using several ways to achieve sustainability.
Enhancing each masterpiece by providing a livelihood to artisans who breathe handicrafts for a living. Walnut wood crafting is bliss in the world of luxury. Furthermore,our collection of Walnut wood crafts is to an extreme of high-end Luxury to adorn your spaces with the heritage and touch of Kashmir Valley. So, make yourself at home on our platform and fill your surroundings with the aroma of Kashmir.