“Aging Wood” Profession in Homs … Connecting The Past With the Present With Simple Tools and A Renewed Spirit
In fact, nothing compares to the distinctive appearance of antique wood, as the appearance of antique and old wood can add a wonderful touch to wooden home furniture, but just as no one has the time to see the traces left by time and the various factors of nature on his furniture and wooden accessories, the need for an aging technique has emerged, as aging gives the wood a worn-out look within minutes.
The profession of aging wood is closely linked to the past and to the heritage, despite the development that affected the various aspects of life, however this profession, with its renewed spirit, has preserved its heritage characteristics.
SANA quoted the craftsman, Abdul Hafeez Al-Ekhwan, who works in the profession of aging wood in the province of Homs, as saying: “I have been working in this profession for 25 years and I deal with the piece of wood as a renewed spirit that differs according to its color, age and condition”.
“My passion for this profession began when I saw an old wooden door in one of the old neighborhoods of Homs and felt how this door truly represents the past and history and I felt the need to preserve this link in our current age,” he added.
There are various methods and techniques for aging wood, according to the craftsman Al-Ekhwan such as direct burning with a special tool, using some chemical compounds, or using lime, and quenching with water in order to cause fragility in some areas in the wood. An iron brush can also be used to create lines and engraving. Then the wood is painted more than once, exclusively, with watercolor. In the final stage, the aging piece is sprayed with a quick-drying paint to preserve the entire process of painting, engraving and aging, and to protect it from moisture.
The craftsman considered that his love and passion for antique furniture motivated him to pay attention to the profession and to develop his talent where he started making all the wooden art pieces and antique furniture required in old and modern homes and some churches with great skill and craftsmanship.
” I teach my children the techniques of this profession which is part of our heritage snd must be preserved and developed, by making use of the remnants of nature using simple hand tools to make antiques and various art pieces with a heritage character,” he concluded.
Amal Farhat