Swat wood carvers: Creating delicate timber masterpieces

Origins of woodcarving in Swat can be traced back to the Buddhist period.

SWAT:

Woodcarving has been practiced in Swat since ancient times: the craft can be traced back to the early Buddhist period under the Kushan rulers, and one can still glimpse traces of the Graeco-Buddhist style.

Wood-carvers’ delicate strokes, represent the area’s tradition, culture and heritage. Their intricate floral design describes the area’s history and the civilisation of a particular area.

Although they are not numerous now, the local craftsmen are always busy creating high-end furniture. Such artisans were also mentioned by Sir Aurel Stein, who visited Swat in 1926, in his renowned book An Archeological Tour in Upper Swat and Adjacent Hill Tracts.

According to Stein: “The other local craft of Upper Swat retains evidence of the ancient skill that is wood carving.”

Regarding the quality and beauty of the craft, Stein further writes: “I was struck by the amount of wood-carving, old and new, to be seen in mosques and houses of well-to-do families,” adding: “These traditions clearly left their mark in a variety of decorative motifs of purely Graeco-Buddhist style, plentifully displayed in the wood-carving on the pillared loggias of mosques and on the doors of headmen’s houses.”

Masterpieces of antique wood-carving are much in demand by well-off families across the country.

Zahir, a local artisan of the Manglawar area, told The Express Tribune: “We have special tools for carving wood but before carving we draw the design with a pencil. After carving out various designs, other artisans fix it into the furniture. I learnt the craft in four years. A single bed is made within two days, earning me Rs3,000.”

Ikram, another artisan, told The Express Tribune: “Nowadays, we call the craft ‘antique’ because it has existed in this part of the country since time immemorial. It is really liked by foreigners and before the militancy, when foreigners would visit Swat, the craft had a very good market here.”

“Taking into account the interest of foreigners in the antique wood-carvings, we felt inclined towards the craft and learnt it. Nowadays, even though foreigners aren’t coming here, the hand-carved furniture is still liked by well-to-do families who purchase it eagerly,” he said.

Mohammad Rehman, a furniture dealer told The Express Tribune: “Mostly, it’s the Swati floral hand-carved furniture that is purchased by people who come from the lower areas. A complete bedroom set costs between Rs60,000 and Rs180,000.”





Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2011.