Carved wooden furniture never goes out of style or demand. From Mahagony to Teak to Rosewood, you are spoilt for choice. And there is no dearth of talented craftsmen either, says Michelle Cherian
Carved furniture in any home sets the tone of class and style in it. Just a couple of pieces, say a sofa set or a desk, can make the whole home look classier than the run-of-the-mill ones. In India, we are lucky that we can still get beautiful hand-carved furniture in Teak and Sheesham.
Back in the old days, Mahogany was a prized possession, but today, they are very expensive and beyond the reach of the common man.
Carved furniture comprises both outdoor and indoor furniture. In the hall and the living room, the furniture may be carved antique pillars from Kerala or modern sofas and showcases that hang on walls or a cabinet. This furniture can be part of the garden as chairs, armchairs or even altars that have to be re-polished every once in a while. They add a unique beauty to the garden.
So how is carved furniture made? We sat down and watched a carver work in an alley off Marathahalli. The design is painstakingly drawn on a blank piece of wood. The blank piece is then clamped onto a bench vise and a scored line is made along the pencil lines with a bench knife. Certain areas are then carved out around the outline with a shallow U-gouge. The workmen are careful to carve out the furniture with the grain of the wood to avoid damage. The edges are then rounded with the bench knife.
Thin lines and v-shaped designs are carved with the V-gouge. The straight chisel can help in further adding details by making flat bottomed cuts into the wood. The finishing touches include sanding the carvings with fine-grit sandpaper and the polishing follows to give the piece a luxurious look, which anyone would yearn to have in their homes.
Masterpieces are manufactured in India from top quality hardwoods like Teak, Rosewood and Mahogany by a number of well-known craftsmen.
One can find exclusive collections of Mahogany solid wood furniture combined with rattan pieces to create an all-natural collection of colonial-style furniture for their home. Most often the rattan pieces are imported from Malaysia and look wonderful against the dark Mahogany wood colour. Something which is new in India is whitewashed Mango wood from which a delightful laid back looking furniture can be carved.
The workshop in Marathalli had a two-seater bench with a carved back which can make a stylish statement in any room. It gives the room a very relaxed feel when gracing the foot of a bed and can also make for a lovely occasional seat in the bedroom.
Generously upholstering the carved furniture with padding and cushioning in certain areas completes the look and gives it a luxurious finishing touch. The carved workmanship along with the rich upholstery can make the piece into a work of art.
“There are some companies that recycle embroidered and beaded wedding saris and this is used in the covering material of the upholstery. However, the common practice includes using handmade covers with vibrant Indian colours that are unique and vary from their design and shade,” says Prince who owns a carved furniture store in Hennur.
In one exclusive high-end store catering mainly for the international market, the elephant head is hand-carved on Sheesham hardwood which fuses traditional skills with a modern design.
“This can be custom-made to be used as cupboards and as lamp tables that can be fitted in narrow hallways and studio rooms. The elephant's stylised trunks and broad backs become the essence of the design.
“This reveals Indian craftsmanship as it has been preserved by generations of skilled artisans. The furniture is hand-waxed to enrich a matured grain of Sheesham,” says A K Bhoje Gowda, an artisan of the famed Cauvery Arts and Crafts on M G Road, Bangalore.
Carved furniture has never gone out of style and just one piece in a room can give it class and style, and can turn around a home quite effortlessly. They are legendary and can be passed on from generation to generation.
So, if you are looking for furniture that is unique yet timeless, carved furniture is the way to go.