Damascene wooden Mosaic … Art of Creativity

The Damascene wood mosaic is one of the oldest , most distinguished traditional handicrafts in Damascus, giving its houses a unique beauty and earning  popularity among Syrians and tourists alike.  

Syrian craftsmen have excelled in this craft , and a lot of palaces and the old Damascene houses prove their creativity . The word “mosaic” is originally Greek , it means the gods of art and beauty.

The Directorate of  Damascus Culture  has given  top priority to shed light on  Syrian heritage crafts during its monthly lectures . The recent of which focused on  the Damascene mosaic handicraft.   

Heritage researcher  Mukhlis Al-Mahmoud , who gave the lecture at the Arab Cultural Center in Al-Maazzeh said  that “ wood  mosaic is about  two centuries old craft and depends mainly on the craftsman’s imagination in inlaying wood and transforming it into artistic forms that incorporate all kinds of wood”. 

Al-Mahmoud explained that the Damascene artisan was the first one  who made the first mosaic piece in 1860 by collecting rods of naturally colored wood with a triangular or square section, then cutting  them in the form of chips and pasting them on the woodwork with natural glue. He adopted  models for the decoration of woodwork  to create the  Mosaic craft which  Damascus is famous for.  

In her intervention, the researcher Najla Al-Khadra pointed to the importance of heritage and its cultural and historical value since man was found on  earth.  

She underlined  that the mosaic craft which Damascus city was characterized by  has become the focus of attention of visitors who carry  wood mosaic works to  their countries as a pure Damascene product. 

The  craftsman  Yahya Na’emeh underscored   that his love for this profession began from childhood, when he inherited it from his grandfather and learned it from his father, who became the Sheikh Kar of mosaic craft and  one of the greatest craftsmen in Damascus in this field, indicating   his shop  in “Qaymariya” district in Damascus has become  a main destination for this art lovers .   

This craft depends ,according to Na’emeh,  on placing  seashells on wood,  as he  first cuts and dries the wood to make it fit for work, then he  designs  the wooden structure of the piece, whether it is a box, home furniture, or a mirror depending on different artistic prints.  

He  added the previous steps are  followed by  the stage of forming with seashell and pasting it which requires accuracy and artistic sense, indicating the last stage is polishing the seashell to make the piece in its final shape, which embodies  a unique Damascus imprint.   

Rawaa Ghanam