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77
AN OVERVIEW OF TRADITIONAL WOODEN HANDICRAFT
SPECIES FROM SOUTH INDIA
Krishnanunni, T. S.1, Sarath, S.2 and Neenu, K.3
Received: 2 February 2023 Reviewed and Accepted: 15 February, 2023
Review Article
Abstract
India is home to a large variety of tree
species, including 1,600 that are valuable
as commercial timber, but only a small
number of these species are traditionally
used in handicrafts industry because the
choice of trees for handicrafts depends on a
number of factors with the availability of the
species playing a key role. Wrightia tinctoria
R.Br., Manilkara hexandra Dubard, Givotia
mollucana (L.) Sreem. (syn: G. rottleriformis
Grifth), Samanea saman Merr., Mangifera
indica L., Dalbergia latifolia Roxb. and Cocos
nucifera L. are the main traditional tree
species used in South India in handicraft
industry. We are emphasising a deeper
understanding of the silviculture and wood
properties elements of traditional species
utilised in the handicraft industry in this
article as well as highlighting the issues
and potential solutions with regard to
traditional handicraft species.
1&3 College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, KAU P. O. Vellanikkara, Thrissur, Kerala 680 656.
Email: tskrishnanunni@gmail.com
2 Silviculture and Forest Management Division, Institute of Wood Science and Technology,
Bengaluru 560 003, Karnataka.
My Forest – March 2023
Vol. 59 (Issue 1), Page 77–83
ISSN: 2445 – 7781
Introduction
Wooden carved handicrafts have a
unique place in India’s art and cultural history
(Fig. 1). The beauty and aesthetic value
of wooden handicrafts render them more
popular and well known in the world. Among
the diverse groups of trees, based on the
nature of growth, weight, colour, suitability
of the texture and grains of the wood certain
timbers are selected for raw material in the
handicraft sector (Table 1).
South India, with its rich natural
resources and cultural heritage has been
a hub of wooden handicrafts for centuries.
The traditional wooden handicraft industry
in South India is not only a source of
livelihood for the local artisans but also
plays a signicant role in preserving the
region’s cultural and artistic heritage.
In this review article, we provide an
overview of the traditional wooden handicraft
species from South India, which mainly
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includes their silvicultural characteristics
(Troup, 1975) and wood properties (Sujatha
et al., 2021).
Only forests and plantations have
historically been used as sources of wood.
Yet, the increased demand for raw materials
has increased the attention being paid to
TOFs (Trees Outside Forests), such as
agroforestry and social forestry projects, as
sources. It is crucial to guarantee the quality
of the raw materials used in the production
of wooden crafts, thus, it is imperative to
improve our knowledge of trees’ silvicultural
considerations.
1. Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.
Silvicultural characteristics: It is small
to a medium-sized deciduous tree with slow
to moderate growth.
My Forest – March 2023
Table 1: Major species used in wooden handicrafts manufacturing clusters in South India
State/UT Cluster Name Purpose Traditional Species
Andhra Pradesh Etikoppaka Making wooden toys Wrightia tinctoria R.Br.,
Manilkara hexandra Dubard
Kondapalli Making wooden toys Givotia mollucana (L.)
Sreem. (syn: G. rottleriformis
Grifth)
Telangana Nirmal Making wooden toys Givotia mollucana (L.)
Sreem. (syn: G. rottleriformis
Grifth)
Karnataka Channapattana Making wooden toys Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.
Kinnal Making wooden toys Givotia mollucana (L.)
Sreem. (syn: G. rottleriformis
Grifth)
Tamilnadu Thammampatti Wooden statues Samanea saman Merr.
Mangifera indica L.
Kerala Quilandy Coconut Wood/ Cocus nucifera l.
Coconut Shell
Gift Articles
Trivandrum Carvings Gift Wares, Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.
Wooden statues
(Rao et al., 2001; Aggarwal et al., 2013; Babu et al., 2021).
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above its companions. On lateritic and
sandstone soils, it can grow, but it is generally
a light-demanding, evergreen and slow-
growing species.
Wood properties: The density of the
wood, which varies depending on the degree
of drying and is often said to range from
roughly 0.83 to 1.08 tonne per cubic metre is
hard, long-lasting and heavy.
3. Givotia mollucana (L.) Sreem. (syn:
G. rottleriformis Grith)
Silvicultural characteristics: This
deciduous tree has a medium height and
rapid growth. commonly encountered at the
edges of dry deciduous hills in peninsular
India that are 400 to 900 metres high,
notably in a small portion of the forests in
Fig. 1. Wooden statues made from tree species like Dalbergia latifolia, Samanea saman, etc.
from the Thammampatti wooden handicraft cluster in Tamil Nadu
Wood properties: When young, wood
is white; as it ages, it turns yellowish-grey
or yellowish-brown, with the heartwood
becoming undetectable. It is soft, light to
moderately hard, and moderately heavy
(sp. gr. 0.48–0.69 air dry); the grain is typically
straight, very rarely shallowly interlocked or
wavy; and the texture is very ne.
2. Manilkara hexandra Dubard
Silvicultural characteristics: In the Indian
Peninsula, it is one of the principal trees in
the dry evergreen forests of the Carnatic
region and surrounding countries. It is an
important tree fruit crop growing under semi-
arid conditions on gullied and ravenous
lands. The appearance of the tree is marked
by its large crown, which it spreads out
My Forest – March 2023
80
the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West
Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
Wood properties: The wood has a ne
to medium texture, with a uniform and
straight grain. The heartwood is yellowish-
brown, sometimes with a purplish tinge.
The sapwood is lighter in color, usually pale
yellow or white. The wood of Givotia
mollucana is moderately durable and resistant
to decay, but not very resistant to insect
attack. Also, the wood has moderate strength
properties with good bending and crushing
strength, but relatively low stiffness and
resistance to shock.
4. Samanea saman Merr.
Silvicultural characteristics: It is a true
tropical tree species that grows best on
fertile, neutral to moderately acidic (pH > 4.6)
alluvial soils with good drainage, although
it may also withstand heavy clay soils
(vertisols) and infertile or seasonally wet
soils. It may grow up to 1500 m above sea
level.
Wood properties: Sapwood is light
yellow, making it very easy to differentiate
from heartwood, which ranges in colour from
golden brown to dark brown. Wood is very
stable, long-lasting, and resistant to insect
and pest damage. It also does not warp.
5. Mangifera indica L.
Silvicultural characteristics: A shade-
bearer tree that is vulnerable to both severe
droughts and frosts yet can withstand
occasional frosts.
Wood properties: Light to golden brown
is the colour of mango wood. Although it
is a type of hardwood, its softness makes it
perfect for use in handicrafts. Its texture
ranges from medium to coarse with a ne,
thick grain.
6. Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.
Silvicultural characteristics: A moderate
light consumer, it benets from overhead
lighting and stands in some shadow during
its early growth. If planted in an environment
with too much open space, it is prone to
becoming crooked and branchy. Drought
damages seedlings, but the tree is
unquestionably drought-resistant. Cattle
and goats will quickly browse the seedlings
and saplings, but in regions with a lot
of weeds, gentle grazing may help the
seedlings thrive. Although the tree thrives
in deep, wet, well-drained soil, it may also
grow well in poor, dry soils; nonetheless, it
cannot withstand inadequate drainage.
Wood properties: Light golden brown,
light purple with dark streaks and deep
purple with thin black lines are some of the
colour variations of heartwood. Heartwood
weighs roughly 850 kilogrammes per cubic
metre and darkens with age. There are
no obvious annual rings in the high hard-
wood.
7. Cocos nucifera L.
Silvicultural characteristics: Cocos
nucifera is a tropical palm species that thrive
in hot, humid environments. It is typically
My Forest – March 2023
81
grown in coastal areas with well-drained,
sandy soils. It typically takes around 5-6
years for the palm to reach maturity and
begin producing fruit. It reproduces through
seed propagation. The seeds are typically
planted in well-drained soil and take around
3-4 months to germinate. The management
of Cocos nucifera typically involves regular
fertilization, irrigation and pest control.
Pruning is also essential to maintain the health
and productivity of the palm.
Wood properties: The wood has a
ne, even texture, which makes it easy to
work with. The wood is highly durable and
resistant to decay, fungi, and termites due to
the presence of natural oils and resins. The
wood of Cocos nucifera is not particularly
strong, but it is resilient and exible, making
it suitable for applications where exibility
is required. The wood has a light brown
colour, with a subtle grain pattern that adds
to its aesthetic appeal.
Issues regarding traditional species
The majority of the South Indian wooden
handicraft clusters, such as Channapattana,
Mysore, Kinhal (Kinnal), Sagar, Nirmal,
Kondapalli, Thammampatti, Chinna Salem,
Kallakurichi and Thiruvananthapuram, have
a serious shortage of raw materials. India
is home to a wide variety of tree species,
including 1,600 that are valuable as
commercial timber. Although ultimately the
choice of wood depends on availability,
the preferred wood by artists is soft to
moderately hard, has a ne texture and is
simple to carve into desired shapes.
The primary species historically utilized
in the south Indian wooden handicraft
industries are Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.
Manilkara hexandra Dubard, Givotia
mollucana Sreem. Samanea saman Merr.,
Mangifera indica L. Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.,
and Cocus nucifera L. (Babu et al., 2021). It
has been difcult for the wooden handicrafts
sector to maintain a steady supply of
raw materials due to the historical over
exploitation of locally available traditional
species and restrictions on cutting down
forest trees. It has been reported that the
lack of region-specic species like Givotia
mollucana Sreem. in Nirmal and Kondapalli,
Wrightia tinctoria R. Br. in Channapattana
and Kinal in Karnataka and Ettikoppaka in
the state of Andhra Pradesh has a negative
impact on the livelihood of numerous
marginalized traditional artisans and
industries in those areas (Rao et al., 2001,
2011).
Possible solutions to tackling the raw
material scarcity
In order to improve the wooden
handicraft industry, it is essential to preserve
the forests that provide the appropriate
species of traditional raw materials to the
industry. To do this, the forests must be
managed sustainably through practices like
advancing seed and propagation research,
suggesting the establishment of traditional
tree species plantations under working
plans, and replenishing traditional tree
species in their native habitats through
appropriate plantations. The many stake-
My Forest – March 2023
82
holder groups may benet from the
development of a set of procedures,
including plantation methods for each of the
handicraft species (Shukla and Rao, 2021).
Because the traditional workers will
struggle to survive on conventional wood in
the absence of alternate supplies of wood,
plantation timber needs to be introduced
into the handicraft industry (Syovik and
Garima, 2021). It is necessary to evaluate
the possibilities of the various plantation
timbers that are accessible for use in
producing different types of handicrafts
(Karthik et al., 2021). Simarouba glauca DC.
Maesopsis eminii Engl., Swietenia mahagoni
(L.) Jacq. and Chloroxylon swietenia DC.
are a few promising alternative species
that have been developed and appreciated
by wood artisans for their better working
quality and processing parameters (Shukla
and Rao, 2021). However, these species
have not yet been thoroughly studied for
mass propagation, silvicultural techniques,
improvements in wood quality parameters,
and processing technologies.
Planting the traditional and alternate
species in agroforestry systems is a good
idea and it will reduce the pressure on
natural forests (Sarath and Krishnanunni,
2022) but proper and exible felling, transit
policies and certication process are
also needed apart from that, relaxing the
regulations for getting credit from nancial
institutions is one of the major strategies
to solve the raw materials procurement
problems and nancial security to the
artisans.
References
Aggarwal P. K., Rao R. V. and Joshi S. C.
(2013). Wooden toys in India. Unasylva,
64(1), 240.
Babu, S., Gautam, V. S., Sarath, S., Kartik,
A. G. and Nandish S. Case Study
Educational tours of three wooden
handicraft clusters of states of Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu:
Products, Issues and Opportunities.
Wood is Good, 1(4), 1–6.
Karthik, S., Sushanth, C. and Loganathan,
R. (2023). Value Addition of Handloom
Fabric Using Handicraft Skills.
Elementary Education Online, 20(5),
8445-8445.
Rao, K. S., Khan, B. A., Reddy, K. S., Rao,
R. V., Adkoli, N. S., Suryaprakash and
Achoth, L. (2001). Study on demand
and supply of timber, poles and rewood
in the state of Andhra Pradesh. An
Institute of Wood Science and
Technology Report, 156 pp.
Ray, S. and Joshi, G. (2021). Handicraft:
From boom to brink. Wood is Good,
1(4),75-77.
Sarath, S. and Krishnanunni, T. S. (2023).
Potential Multipurpose Trees (MPTs)
My Forest – March 2023
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for Enhancing Agroforestry Production
in South India: Species, Silviculture
Management, and Successful Models.
My Forest, 58-(4), 103-111. https://www.
researchgate.net/publication/368463537
Shukla S. R. and Rao. M. S. (2021). Exploring
alternate wood species for handicraft
sector – a regional perspective and
Institute’s initiatives. Wood is Good, 1(4),
33–39.
Sujatha, M., Shashikala, S. and Sharma, S. K.
(2021). Timbers for handicrafts and their
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Troup R. S. (1975). Silviculture of Indian
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