P r o c e s s

Unique features of the art

There are many archaeological artifacts, which indicate the most beautiful and blooming period of the art of city. Many of these artifacts are in the form of decorative designs and motifs of the ancient Havelis. The wooden entrance-doors are of great importance. The local Hindu artisans have executed the 'Lata Palallava' floral carvings on multi-elemental doorframes. The motifs, like Ashtadala fully blown lotus, sometimes set in fluent creeper, stylised Ghata-Pallava, Shrivatsa symbol, mystic Yantras etc. are some of very striking decorative elements. The village-craftsmen used to designate themselves as the Dhiman, meaning "the possessor of wisdom." Every person who belongs to the family of the traditional wood-worker now uses this appellation. In their ornamental works, intricate geometrical forms, floral decorations, Chinar leaf motifs, entwined grapevines (Anguri), etc. have been combined with the zoomorphic devices like peacocks, etc. The latticework, accomplished by fret-saw perforation technique known as Pinjara, is known to have developed in Persia was adopted by the immigrant craftsmen in Kashmir and Saharanpur simultaneously. It is still one of the most popular device for manufacturing artistic screens at Saharanpur.

In the middle of 19th century wood based art crafts, including wood handicraft, had been the household supplementary occupation of the village Tarkhans (carpenters). The master wood worker used to under take more complex job of executing carving on the doorframes and other exposed part of woodwork. The junior hands and apprentices were given the preliminary operations of carpentry, joinery and assistance. An immigrant of Multan, Atta Hussain was considered to be the master carver of the art. It was he, who established the first organised production unit of woodcarving at Saharanpur in AD 1882. The masterpieces made by him even attracted the British army officers, who took the art with them to England, like this wooden novelty from India found way to Europe after the end of 19th century. Central European countries, United States of America and Japan also emerged as new consumers for the city. Atta Hussain received a prestigious award for his carved wooden exhibit in Khairabad agricultural show, which increased the demand of carved wood articles in the market. Soon many other members of Sheikh community, who were proficient in the craft, also started their independent production unit.
One of the eminent wood carvers, Ali Hassan made a wooden "Roza" in Shisham wood, which is still preserved in the Imambara of Saharanpur. In 1924, Messrs Sheikh Mohammed Imam Mohammed Ikram, the direct successors of Atta Hussain, won a gold medal for their "carved wooden furniture" in an industrial exhibition at Baroda organised by the Indian Industries and Trade Developing Syndicate Limited, Karachi. It was a big boost for the development of wood handicraft industry at Saharanpur. In the same year, total value of the annual foreign export of wooden items from Saharanpur was estimated to be Rs.1, 20,000. America, England and France was major foreign market for the wooden objects.

Raw Material

In the beginning, shisham was the only wood used by handicraftsmen. Subsequently some ingenious craftsmen experimented with teakwood from Nepal and Assam, ebonite from Assam and rosewood from the South. Haldu and dudhi, scarce fine-grained white coloured types of wood found locally and siras of Punjab were other wood species preferred for the special effects in woodwork. Struggle for survival forced the wood carving industry of Saharanpur to pass through many critical phases during the post independence period. Changing scenario of industry turned the craftsmen to many other varieties of wood. Besides traditional shisham, wood craftsmen have now been using many other varieties of wood depending upon the suitability of texture, colour, grains of wood for particular job. For deep under-cutting and sculptural effect teak, rosewood and walnut are preffered. For low releif, shisham and deodar is used and for incised designs ebony is considered. Rohira, sal, babul, etc., are coarse grained and hard wood used for bold work. Haldu and dudhi are used for special polychromatic effects. Other most common species of wood being used by the craftsmen these days are mango wood, tun wood, neem wood, sal wood, jamun wood, rohira etc. All these are found locally in the district.

On the other hand, traditionally used filling mediums for inlay work found other substitutes. Now in addition to ivory, camel bones, silver and brass, carvers started using bone-powder, marble dust and multi-coloured plastic. In some cases even the use of cut-pieces of mirror has been noted. Modern technology did not remained untouched in this field of creativity. But the influence was favourable for this cultural art. European resident introduced the inlaid work in Saharanpur. Floral designs, brass, copper and German silver were worked out on plain shisham and this decoration, though occasionally applied to picture-frames and caskets, is best adopted to panels. Besides intricate and delicate carving, inlay work in ivory, camel bone and metal became popular with the craftsmen.

Commercialization of art

In the midst of sixties, there has been a continuous process of experimenting going on in the woodcraft industry of Saharanpur. Emphasis of that experimenting was more consumers oriented, aimed at market-culture. In order to find a place in the market wood carvers started manufacturing cheaper versions of traditionally popular items. Some of the new introductions were the Ashok Chakra, sailor wheel, ornamental and inlayed trivets, book racks, book holders, fruit bowls, wall decoration panels, bottle racks and coasters, breakfast trolleys, lady's vanity bags and purses, table mats, stylized key rings, beaded strings, richly hand-crafted furniture items for bed, drawing and dinning room, ornamental television cabinets, hand crafted dressing mirrors and tables and host of other items. In these items, utilitarian and aesthetic aspects were blended together.

Current Techniques

Besides reviving and improving upon the traditional designs in woodcarving, new techniques and mediums evolved. Significant among these is brass overlaying and wood mosaic. In the traditional jewelry boxes, purses, ladies vanity bags, wall hangings, penholders etc. are overlaid by pieces of polished brass. The brass overlaying has generally been done on the objects made up of shisham wood but some other item of rosewood are also preferred. The chinar leaf has been a very popular motif especially in overlaying work. Another technique termed as wood mosaic became popular in around year1970. To make wood mosaic thin pieces of various types of wood are cut in different shapes. The natural colour and texture of these pieces are retained. These pieces are then closely glued on a baseboard according to pre-conceived design and burnished and polished. The chessboards, tabletops, etc. made with this technique have been very popular. Flexible tablemats, wall hangings etc. are also being made of these cut-pieces. In that case, they are assembled together by a thread passed through a fine tunnel made in each of them. The poly-textural wooden beads are being made into artistic wall hangings in this manner.

Adaptability and its benefits

Wood workers discovered that teakwood is a better option for making carved furniture then the traditional shisham. The carved teak wood furniture has been in great demand in foreign countries. Cost of one large three-seat sofa and two single-seat sofas of teak wood cost around Rs.55, 000, whereas that of shisham would cost around Rs.33, 000. During the same year mango wood also became popular. These items found good market in Japan and Russia. Receptivity for innovation, new techniques and designs directed towards the market culture has been the most significant quality of woodcraft industry of Saharanpur. This quality provided a good reputation to the industry in home and foreign markets. Innovations according to the tradition and culture of the customer country were a very remarkable feature of this industry. Palm tree and palm-leaf tree motifs, Arabian calligraphic designs, etc. are prepared for the Arabian buyers. In this context, use of exotic varieties of wood such as maple and other local species like gamari and kanju are used to add new colours and textures to the existing production range. Similarly, introductions of new items like folding and do-it-yourself type furniture, prefabricated door-panels, stylized wooden handles for kitchen wares, unending range of innovative household fixtures and utility items etc. enhanced the market for wood-handicraft of Saharanpur manifold.

Tools and techniques of art

Traditional wood carvers in early days used to work with few instruments and tools. As a carver a person only needed a set of few chisels like Pulki, Tahaki, Chaurasi and Chhaini and a couple of wooden mallets and hammers. Religio-aesthetic imagination was the only drive for creating new designs and figures taking the shape of a fine piece of art. The repetitive floral scroll-pattern were reproduced by the use of perforated stencils. Carvers himself use to make such stencils with goatskin called the khaka. With the passage of time the art of woodcarving came to be applied to piecemeal jobs. With this, the scope and range of designs increased considerably. Woodcarvers started maintaining a collection of khakas with them. Designs of these khakas were transferred to the items through a very simple process. Commonly used charcoal powder was passed through tiny perforations of the khakas by pouncing on pre-prepared surface of the medium. Designs so formed on the medium was made firm by inking. After that, engraving develops these designs. Expert woodcarvers do the final carving with measured strokes of mallet or hammer or the Pulki, Tahaki, Chaurasi or Chhaini.

Now a day, the Farmas are made with cardboard, tin or zinc sheets. Bold patterns are drawn on sheet and then cut by stencil. Stamping through the cut of stencils or the tracing of pencil reproduces a pattern on the smooth medium of plank of wood. The treated plank is then passed on to fret-worker for making holes and removing unwanted portions or to the carver for chiselling and repousse carving according to the scheme. The carver of today has a wide range of tools and instruments including hand drills and power drills, cutting tools of various types, saws, files, manual and power operated lathes etc.

A raw wood before going in the hands of master carver, for getting a reputation of art piece, has to undergo through various processes. Procurement or Kharidari of raw wood, conversion locally called chirai of logs onto planks of required thickness, seasoning, so as to get a texture of raw wood ready for carving are the initial requirement. After that carpentry or badhaigiri, planning called as randai, drawing or naqqashi and then carving is done. Chiselling or Chillai with different types of sharp-edged cutting tools is done after carving. Sometimes, according to requirement, trelliswork or jali-katai has to be done. Lathe work or kharad is required for making certain kinds of woodenwares like bowls, plates, vases, rings and all types of objects- round, spherical and cylindrical.

The specialist craftsman executes wire inlay work. Inlaying and overlaying are traditionally called as tarkashi, bharai and ubharai. Joinery or judai is the operation of joining or fixing different components together to form complete objects and buffing is last stage in the process. A piece, when made of well-seasoned hard wood, is considered complete after buffing. Women workers usually do this job. Finally, polishing or Palish gives the required shine to the item to attract eyes in the market. Before polishing, primming or bharti is also required to fill gaps and defects of the joinery and secondly to give texture and colour to the article.