NATIONAL INSTITIUTE OF

FASHION TECHNOLOGY
FIELD STUDIES
WOOD CARVING
Guided By:Ms.KavitaPathare
Submitted By: Devesh Kumar (BFT/16/564)
Dharani Kankanampati (BFT/16/783)
Kanika Patel (BFT/16/586)
Nikita Bansiwal (BFT/15/1815)
Prachi (BFT/16/170)
 Wood Carving
• Wood carving is the art or technique of carving objects
by hand from wood or of carving decorations into wood
includes any kind of sculpture in wood, from the
decorative bas-relief on small objects to life-size figures
in the round, furniture, and architectural decorations.
• Talking about the history of this age old craft in Mumbai, its
origin has no roots in Mumbai. The artisans who have
migrated from various parts of the country to the financial
capital in search of employment in1888 have introduced it
to Mumbai. This craft is found in western parts of Mumbai
mainly in Versova, Mahim, Bandra and andheri.it is said that
these wood carvers are bought to Mumbai by Britishers to
get their work done.
• The carvers at Mahim are from Saharanpur who are into
their ancestral business or profession of carving. They
migrated here 40-50 years back in search of better market
for their craft. They have adopted the lifestyle of Mumbai in
spite of facing a lot of problems from the municipalities and
lack of government help.
 About the Area
• Our area of visit was Mahim. Mahim is one of the
seven islands that originally made up Mumbai. It
is surrounded by Dharavi, Dadar and Bandra in
the north and the Arabian Sea in the west. The
landmark point for our area of visit is the famous
St. Michael's church. Along with history, there's a
lot of culture as well in this area which gives rise
to beautiful craft of woodwork in Mahim. It's
known for its designs and authenticity all over the
city. The entire hub of wood workers have been
living and working for so many years.
SPATIAL MAPPING:KEY PLAN
SPATIAL MAPPING:SITE PLAN
Process Involved In Wood Carving
Use
Collection Chisels to
of Raw Designing Carve
Material on Paper Pattern on
Wood

Polishing
of the Finishing of the
Final Product with
Product Sand Paper
• Wood sourcing: The sourcing of wood and other raw
materials required is done from main Mumbai. The wood
majorly used here is the sangwan wood .the wood is bought in
gunfoot which is a 12*12inch by 12 foot of wood which contains
12 such sets. its price depends upon the type and quality of the
wood. Rose wood is hard to work upon and expensive but is
preferred because of its aesthetic appeal. The tools are mainly
sourced from Saharanpur.
• In Mumbai there is maximum utilization of Teak wood because
of its availability and also because it is more economical than
the other woods. The teak wood comes from “Old Haveli” or
the Victorian house wood from Mumbai. Old wood costs more
due to its superior quality.
 Tools Used
• 1. Carving knife: a specialized knife used to pare, cut, and smooth wood.
• 2. Gouge: a tool with a curved cutting edge used in a variety of forms and
sizes for carving hollows, rounds and sweeping curves.
• 3. Coping saw: a small saw that is used to cut off chunks of wood at once.
• 4. Chisel: large and small whose straight cutting edge is used for lines and
cleaning up flat surfaces.
• 5. V-tool: used for parting, and in certain classes of flat work for
emphasizing lines.
• 6. U-Gauge: a specialized deep gouge with a U-shaped cutting edge.
• 7. Sharpening equipment: such as various stones and a strop: necessary
for maintaining edges.
Tools
Drawing the pattern
• The pattern or design
to be carved on the
wood is first drawn
on a piece of paper.
Pasting pattern on wood and carving with
chisels
Finishing and Polishing process
 Products
• The main products are mirror frames, carved chairs,
tables, cupboards, trays, bed heads, show pieces,
temples, dressing table, chests, photo frames, wall
hangings, etc.
• The price range of the product varies according to the
inticacy of the work and the the time required to make
the entire product.
• The carved art are sold for anything between Rs 6,000
to Rs 5.5 lakhs.
Frames and Tables
Temples and Frames
Sketches
 Analysis
• The ancient artwork of wood carving has been kept
alive by artists in the Wakhar Galli, where window
frames, doors frames, portrait frames and other pieces
of carved art are sold. Along tiny lanes near Mahim
causeway, carvers sit chipping into wood to create
artworks which deserve a second glance.
• The carvers start early at 9.am. And work till 9.30 p.m in
the tiny shops.
• minimum time taken to carve a 7*7inch frame is 2 days.
• .
 Problems
• There is a problem of middleman ship and lack of help
from government. Being uneducated, they can’t utilise the
online market facility, they don’t even have proper
marketing strategies, demonetisation phase has affected
their business.
• Condition of shops is not good . They work in rent based
shop which is very small for them to keep their products
and carry on their work as well.
• . The main problem faced by the wood carvers is the
amount of physical labour, the injuries they may come
across while carving .
Ways through which Wood carvers can
promote their craft
• Encouraging them to participate in various art
exhibitions.
• Spreading awareness about this craft and this art
can also be included in various art schools.
• Helping them learn better marketing strategies.
• There should be some initiatives by the government
to help promote this craft.
• They should include new and modern designs and
add new range in their product categories to attract
customers.
 Conclusion
• Even though the craftsmen say that they have no major issues,
the problems they face are visible.
• The amount of hard work they put on if marketed properly
would make them reach heights and the popularity they deserve.
• But the most interesting thing we have heard when asked how
they can be satisfied with such less income? The artisan replied
“every craftsman has certain emotions with the craft, they love
their profession as they love their children, it doesn’t matter
what conditions they are working in, and the outcome of a
certain product compensates all the adversities “. For an artist
the amount they are getting paid doesn’t matter but
appreciation does.
• Certainly, there is a lot to learn from them, we hope they get the
popularity and respect as an artist they deserve.
 References
• http://rajeesood.blogspot.in/2010/01/saharanpur-
craftsmenship-in-bandra.html
• http://mumbai-
heritage.mapunity.com/heritage/articles/416
• http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-carved-in-
history-story-of-handsome-bombay-blackwood-
furnitures
•