WOODWORK
Main Centre:Sankheda, near Vadodara.
Unique Features: Lacquered Furniture, Minakari, Wood Carving.
The
lacquered furniture of Sankheda near Vadodara,
another important handicraft industry has become synonymous with Southern
Gujarat. The furniture and woodcrafts of
Surat, Kachchh
and Saurashtra are also popular. Wood is rounded with tools and painted
with floral and abstract designs in bright shades of gold, silver, maroon,
green, vermilion, and brown by using sticks dipped in a coloured mixture
of dyes, powdered zinc, lac and resin. The artisans of
Kachchh make wood take on beautiful
designs and intricate filigreed appearance of lace. Lacquered furniture
similar to that of Sankheda is also made in Mahuva near
Bhavnagar, Surat
and Kachchh.
Minakari furniture from Rajkot, now made
by only of few families is as attractive as Sankheda furniture and
includes low slung chairs, which can replace sitting cross leg on floors,
Indian styles and sofa sets, chairs, centre tables and settees.
In textile centres like Jetpur, Kachchh and Pethapur village of
Gandhinagar district, a good buy are
old wooden blocks used for printing fabrics which can be joined into a
table top, decorative screen or a partition or used as door knobs,
ornamental pieces or paper weights.
WOODCARVING:
Woodcarving is an ancient art of the state, which has attained a very
high standard of technical skill. Some of the best examples of
woodcarvings are found in temples and houses in many parts of
Gujarat. The wood carvers produce life-like
figures of animals, artistic objects of every-day use such as teapots,
table lamps, stools and toys for children.
Exquisite
woodcarvings can be observed in the temples,
havelis and many houses in various parts of Gujarat.
The major centres of wood carvings are Visnagar,
Vadodara,
Ahmedabad ,
Mahuva, and Bilimora. Sandalwood boxes from Surat are very popular.
LACQUER WORK:
Saurashtra and Sanked in the Vadodara district are also known for their
lacquer work. Toys, stands, parts of bedstead, cradles, cradles, low
chairs are some of the important items of lacquer work. Ivory is mostly
used in inlay work and preparation of artistic bangles.
Mahuva in Bhavnagar district and Idar
in Sabarkantha district are known for the manufacturing of wooden lacquer
toys. Mahuva and Idar are famous for their lacquer toys. Sankheda in
Baroda district is known for its lacquer work. The work is done on
country-wood, which gives darker shades. The coating is done with fine lac
