The decorative wood carving and inlay art of Hoshiarpur in the Doaba region of the Indian state of Punjab has been world-renowned for centuries. However, a 1989 ban on the use of ivory coupled with environmental protections on rare wood as well as the introduction of complicated bureaucratic export practices has dramatically changed the profession. As wood carving becomes less lucrative, the craft is beginning to die out, leaving many artisans without a viable way forward.
Hoshiarpur is located in the foothills of the Himalayas and has been home to the art of wood inlay for a few centuries.
Antique Hoshiarpur ivory inlaid products are sought out in auction houses not only in India but also abroad. After the trade of ivory was banned, artisans turned to bone, metal and acrylic which can be seen in modern iterations of the craft.
Both then and now, craftsmen prefer the high-quality wood of the Shisham tree (North Indian Rosewood) which is considered to be durable and resistant to warping.
However, after the growing Chinese demand for rosewood led to complaints of a massive decline in Latin American forests, Shisham wood was put on a list of restricted trade items in 2017. This shortage of wood has boosted the cost of the wood inlay products leading to a drop in local demand and a greater reliance on exportation.
At the same time, the Indian government created its own international compliance certificate called Vriksh, which certifies that the wood used in handicrafts is legally and responsibly sourced. However, obtaining the certificate has created another layer of bureaucracy which is giving rise to inflated prices by middlemen trading in wood. This coupled with an increase in government taxes is leading to the progressive decline of artisans in the region.
The Hoshiarpur government website puts the number of practising artisans at 100-150 and notes that the scarcity of Shisham wood is threatening the survival of the trade.
Global Voices’
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