Traditional Wood engraving… the craft of forty chisels

The traditional craft of engraving on wood has preserved its originality as a very ancient craft, and it has witnessed changes over centuries of time, but the essence of the craft remained constant and preserved its originality.

To shed light on the craft of wood engraving , the craftsman “Adnan Al-Fayoumi” told the E-Syria blog: “I have started the craft, which requires a lot of patience to learn, since 1990 when I was twenty-five years old. I do geometric and botanical decoration, Arabic calligraphy, Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid and Mamluk carvings using local hard wood such as  walnut, rosewood, olive and eucalyptus”. 

The stages of wood engraving, according to Al-Fayoumi , begins with bringing the appropriate wood, then drawing the required shape, whether the shape is geometric or vegetal then engraving during which 40 chisels are used, each with a number for precision engraving and bending accuracy. 

Regarding local and overseas participations, the craftsman said “I have participated in several exhibitions in cultural centers.  I took part in engraved the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, the Salah Eddin Mosque, the Bludan Mosque, and the Sheikh Muhi Eddin Mosque, and I have several works abroad including in America the Vatican and Qatar”. 

In turn, Khaled Al-Fayyad, a researcher in folklore and the Secretary-General of the Artisan Magazine said: “The craft is ancient and developed by Jerji Bitar, but it is not possible to talk about any development in a particular craft without addressing the ancient civilizations around it” . 

He pointed out that the Umayyad era was the interaction between the Byzantine and Islamic civilizations, and the craft of wood engraving in this era was characterized by the beginning of the sunken drilling down the wood (clusters of grapes and leaves), stressing that wood pieces turned into unique artifacts with simple capabilities and high artistic skills.

In the Abbasid era, the excavations differed and the plant veins began to be materialized and animal drawings were inserted, and this was as a result of being affected by the surrounding areas, as they were affected by the Sassanidand Hellenistic civilizations.

The craftsman added “In the Fatimid era, wood engraving appeared at the highest levels. It used the dry Kufic script and made it sacred through Qur’anic paintings. It appeared in Egypt, influenced by Coptic art, such as animal drawings, dance boards, amusement and hunting”. 

As for the Mamluk era, it is the richest and most artistically luxurious, and during the era of Sultan “Qaytbay” wood engraving appeared in the most beautiful during the era of the Islamic civilization. 

At the beginning of the Ottoman Empire, crafts declined due to the involvement of craftsmen in war, and when the state stabilized, craftsmen flourished again, according to Al-Fayyad.

“The Syrian craftsman produced three-dimensional pieces before the creation of the machines, and the wooden artifacts are few, most of them were damaged, and there are several pieces in the Museum of Islamic Art in Egypt and a museum in Spain .

Rawaa  Ghanam

You might also like
Latest news
36 people martyred, more than 50 others injured in Israeli aggression on Palmyra city “Deir Ezzor, Memory of the Old City” a photographic  exhibition by photographer Jumaa Al-Suleiman  On International Children's Day, Ministry of Social Affairs completes the National Strategy for Chil... Putin confirms Russia’s readiness to assist CAR with security challenges 43985 martyrs since the beginning of the Israeli war of extermination in Gaza Strip Palestinian Prisoners' Commission and the Prisoners' Club: The occupation's brutality against childr... Russian Foreign Intelligence Service says Russia to address NATO’s engagement in strikes deep inside... Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls for providing international protection for children Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza Strip: "The occupation does not allow anything to ... The occupation continues its aggression on Jenin and its camp 14 martyrs, a number of wounded in the occupation's bombing of Gaza Strip A Lebanese Army Soldier and Five Civilians Martyred in Israeli occupation Airstrikes Venezuela Rejects U.S. Recognition of Edmundo González as President-Elect Al-Dahhak: The continuous US-backed Israeli crimes pose serious threat to regional and international... Omani Embassy in Damascus holds reception on the 54th anniversary of Oman's National Day  Kharita at "COP 29": The need to increase funding for countries to fulfill their obligations Palestinian Health Ministry: Israeli occupation killed 1,000 Palestinian doctors, nurses during its ... Pushilin calls for enhancing cooperation between the Donetsk Republic and Syria Pakistani plane, carrying aid for displaced people coming from Lebanon, arrives at Damascus Airport Sabbagh, Araqchi hold a press Conference in Tehran