The Indian’s heritage is rich and vibrant and this heritage has always been mirrored in the country’s antique wooden handcrafts. We have a wide range of antique wooden handicrafts, from handcrafted toys and jewellery to figurines and boxes and so on. These wooden handicrafts are a very vital part of the Indians cultural history. The style and design of the craft item literally reflect the belief, lifestyle and environment of the country. India is a region of numerous ethnicities, races, cultures, and beliefs. You can actually discover all about these differences and factors in the wooden antique handicraft items. By looking at the antique handcraft item, you will find out even the country’s history, values, and even more.
History of the country’s handicrafts
Looking at the Indian handicraft items and how rich they are, we are allured into wanting to know the history behind these priceless items. The history of these items in the country has its root during the Vedic period. We all know that the Vedas talk about metal, wood and pottery items. However, we have never been able to find concrete evidence of any of these craft items from this period.
However, we managed to discover craft items that are made of metal, clay, and wood during the Indus Valley Civilization We were also able to discover some items made of wood, metal, and clay during the Harappa period. Delicate jewellery and elaborately carved pillars or stupas we extremely famous back in the Mauryan era. We are also been able to find out that later on, especially in the Gupta era, there are rock paintings, stone carving and sculpting developed. Interestingly, the majority of the antique handicrafts which we see today in India are mainly from the Medieval Era.
The Sphere of the Antique Indian Wooden Handicrafts
The forte of the antique wooden handicrafts in India from the ancient period lies majorly in the exclusive designs, detailed carving, and unique features. These handmade items were never luxury goods in the past. They were actually designed simply for utilitarian purposes. The artisans later began to add some decorative features to these handmade items as they gained more skills.
So, as time goes by, the rich and the ruling class started buying these items. This increased their value in the market as their popularity spread across the entire country. So, masks that were only made for religious purposes eventually became very beautiful pieces of art. On the same note, the normal storage boxes slowly became ornamental boxes as artisans made them look much better with the added features.
Why Indian Wooden Handicrafts have been around for centuries
Apart from the fact that Indian wooden handicrafts are popular within the country and abroad, the artisans have also been facilitated by the availability of raw materials. Wooden handicraft has been flourishing in India over the centuries because the country is blessed with numerous tree species. Most of these tree species are evergreen and deciduous. Trees belonging to the arid regions as well as alpine forests are also present in the country. Artisans use these trees to manufacture wooden handicrafts.