Bringing wood to life

From the dawn of civilisation, man has had an intense relationship with nature, and wood is the basic natural product which he has used for various purposes. He has used it to light fire, to build shelter, to make utensils and weapons, and even to carve the images of deities and figures of dolls and toys.

India has a rich tradition of woodcraft. The intricate designs of inlay-work may be a collector’s choice, but simple woodcarving and painting is equally popular with art lovers.

The Sambalpur district of Orissa and the Burdwan district of West Bengal have a rich tradition of wood carving. Generations of craftsmen have engaged in this profession for centuries. Generally, Gambri wood is used for carving because of its smooth surface.

At first, the craftsman draws the outline with pencil on the surface of the wood. Later, he carves out the image with the help of chisel. Usually, the craft piece is painted with artificial colours, but on some occasions, the original colour of wood is also retained to obtain a natural look. Very often, powdered colour is used for painting.

The craftsmen then brighten the images with his expert painting skills and the painted objects are dried under the sun. A special kind of burnish is used on the colour to embellish it for shine and endurance.

Figures of deities like Durga or Lord Jagannath are immensely popular among devotees. But these days, there is a special demand for images of owls in different shapes and sizes. Brightly-coloured owls or finely designed wooden dolls are no doubt a special attraction of a well-decorated drawing room.

But the artists who make these brightly coloured dolls are often found to remain in dark about the value of the artefacts they create. Lack of government patronage and support has forced several skilful craftsmen to change their professions and stop practising this art form.

Although the export potential of these handicrafts are high, insufficient government aid encourages middlemen who take away the lion’s share of the profit, leaving the artists with a pittance to survive on. If this scenario does not change in near future, we may soon see the death of this form of craft in the land of one of its earliest origins.