Woodwork in Kashmir
Woodwork

Owing to its geographical needs and the rich availability of wood in the region, Kashmir has been home to a rich variety of wood-work. Literary records, as early as the 11th century, indicate the use of wood for building royal palaces. In addition to its architectural purpose, wood also came to be employed as a craft, especially in the Middle Ages which saw the propagation of Persian aesthetic influence in Kashmir. With the influx of Central Asian artists into the valley, a myriad of wood crafts developed in Kashmir, in the form of lattice work and wood carving.
Pinjrakari:
The art of lattice work in wood is referred to as Pinjrakari in Kashmir. It is usually used as a decorative feature that adorns the window openings, balconies, ventilators and room partitions. The designs are built by arranging small pieces of wood together in geometrical forms. These pieces are held together usually through dowel joints. As no glue is used in fixing the pieces together, they stay in position through the pressure they exert on each other. The precision of this meticulous process is evident from the fact that even without the use of any adhesive, the latticed grid can stay together without the support of an external frame.
Wood Carving:
In Kashmir, the craft of carving is predominantly carried out on walnut wood. The raw material for the desired object is either extracted from the trunk or the root of the walnut tree (doon kul). While a wide variety of designs are carved by the artisans, the most popular ones include chinar motifs, dragons, lotus flowers and grapevines. This highly ornate and delicate form of craft is done on items of both ornamental and utilitarian use. Intricately carved headboards, storage chests, screens, trays and jewelry boxes are commonly found in Kashmir.
The Meeras Mahal museum collections showcase a wide variety of crafted wooden objects that have been collected from across the Valley. Latticed window panels, decorative eaves boards, intricately carved wooden columns and window frames, ornate bowls, carved chests and rehals form the highlight of the woodwork collection.
In addition to its decorative use, wood working has also developed in Kashmir in accordance with the needs of the locals. Thus, historically speaking, wood was also employed extensively for making items of everyday use. Ranging from children’s toys and wooden games, wooden sandals, items of agricultural use and a wide variety of kitchenware, the Meeras Mahal museum woodwork collection encapsulates the richness and the historical evolution of everyday life in the Kashmir Valley. Many of the artefacts on display are still used by locals, signifying the continued cultural significance of these objects.
An interesting fact: The art of pinjrakari is so essential to the cultural landscape of the Kashmir Valley that references to it are found commonly in the rich oral corpus of Kashmiri folklore:
Zaele panjray teale nazar trave Bali Asimi Tamblav (Bestow upon me, one glance from behind the Pinjra. Oh beauty pray, do not tantalize me).