The Woodcraft of Central India comprises of artistic brassware, enameled, engraved and filigreed cutwork on wood. Apart from furniture, the carpenters make beautiful boxes, trays small statues of Krishna, Ganesh, and small figures of birds, horses and elephants, enameled as well as plain. Traditional wood carpenters command sizeable export markets for their products.
Jaipur also has a tradition of woodcraft, well finished and polished to a shine. Vivid enamel is also used to highlight the engraving on wood. Wood, sometimes plain often painted is used to make everything from furniture to artifacts. The furniture ranges from the exquisite traditional designs to the contemporary ones. The contemporary variants include chairs with painted backs, camel-hide stools, marble-top tables and carved cabinets.
Wooden items of central India include a range of animal -horses, boxes, elephants, parrots that are beautifully painted, chests snuff boxes and other interesting paraphernalia including dancing figurines and dwarpals or guardians of the doors. The wooden handicrafts of Madhya Pradesh are some of the best sellers as tourist souvenirs. Almost everywhere in this state, tourists face the dilemma of choosing between contemporary streamlined shopping centers that stock cosmopolitan range of goods and old bazaars where one would get some specialised items. Amongst the various crafts of Madhya Pradesh, woodcarving is considered as the most popular one. The art of woodcarving has thrived in several parts of Madhya Pradesh. In the forts, palaces and some old houses, one is sure to find marvelously embellished wooden ceilings, lintels and doors with finely engraved patterns that are silent testimonials of a celebrated period.
The wood carvers of Madhya Pradesh take pride in their grand sensitivity and skill. These craftsmen transform different varieties of wood like teak, dhudi, shisham, kikar and sal into works of art. Apart from the popular wooden memorials, the artisans of Malwa, Nimar, Sheopur-Kalan, Bundelkhand and Rewa also make masks, sculptures, doors, pipes and window frames. Wood Carving of Madhya Pradesh, India also consists of an assortment of painted and lacquered woodcraft items like boxes, toys, bedposts, flower vases and cradle posts. The chief centers of wood craft in Madhya Pradesh, India are Sheopur-Kalan (Morena), Gwalior, Budhni (Raisen) and Rewa. Musical instruments such as dhols, mandals, dhanks and dhangs are also some of the notable woodcrafts of central India.
The magnificent articles of wood carving of central India certainly prove to be a cherished buy. Craftsmen from Madhya Pradesh use a variety of wood like shisham, teak, dhudi, sal and kikar for making household items. Woodcraft from the tribal belt of Bastar is known for intricate figures of tribal deities, carved wooden memorials, masks and so on. Madhya Pradesh is also famous for painted and lacquered wood product like toys, boxes, bedposts, cradles posts, flower vases and so on. Wood lacquering in central India is widely prevalent and the states have many craft centers engaged in making different items out of wood. Some areas are known for vine-leaf patterns on Sheesham wood. Floral, geometric and figurative carvings are also done here with wood inlay work. Inlay work is done with the aid of bone and plastic as ivory is banned in India. Besides heavy woodcrafts, lacquered toys and miniature utensils for children are also famous in central India. Woodcraft in central India has been carrying a tradition and ethnicity since ages.
