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woodcarvingPatternedwood carvings often cover architec-
tural elements – pillars, beams, cornices, doors, aswellassmallerobjects,suchastables,trunks,boxes,Koranstands,book-holders,musicalinstruments.
Thefewextantsamplesoftheancientwoodcarv-ingimpressuswiththeirbeautyandperfectionofex-ecution.AmongthoseoftheancientSogdianwood-carvingswhich testify to the high skills of ancientmastersarethefragmentsfromtheupperZarafshanRiversuchasancientPanjakentandIstaravshan.Asamatteroffact,inTajikistanandacrosstheancientcities of Sogdiana images of various creatures hadbeencarvedonwoodtillthe10thcentury,evenaftertheArabianinvasion.Itwasonlyinthelaterperiodthattheywerefullyreplacedbygeometricandfloralpatterns.
Everyone who has been in Tajikistan knowshow important theartofdecorativecarving for lo-cal residents is. It decorates themonuments of ar-
chitecture, household objects,musical instruments,utensils,doors,frames,souvenirsandsoforththisisoneofthemostancientandwidespreadcraftsinTa-jikistan.Therearewoodcarving(utensils,furniture),stonecarvingandgajkori(architecturalmonuments,houses,interiordecoration).
The three main ornamental styles are distin-guishedinTajikwoodcarving:baghdadi,islimiandpargori.Thedeep-backgroundislimistylehasricherartistic qualities than no-background one does. Itisusedindecorationofbotharchitecturalelementsand smaller objects, usually in combination withbaghdadiandpargori.Asarule,islimistylehasonebackground,thoughexperiencedcarverssometimesmake two-or three-planecarvingwhen thepatternofthesecondlayerbecomesabackgroundtotheup-per one.The prevailing patterns in islimi style aretwisting, regularly intertwined plant vines, stalkswithflowerbuds,flowersand leaves–allvery in-
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tricatelycombined.Sketches for islimi patterns arefirstdrawnonapieceofpaperandthencopiedonthework-piecebypouncing.Theartofthemasterthenliesincreatingtheproperbackgroundandrevealingthenaturalbeautyof thewood.Theflat surfaceofislimireliefanditsdeepbackgroundarefinishedbyapplyingasetoftechniquescalledpardoz:theedgesofthereliefaremadealittlecurvedorright-angled;itssurfaceiseitherpolishedorcoveredwithdiago-nalnotches;thebackgroundisleftplainorismadedot-textured,thuscreatingthepatternedbasisfortheornament.IneachregionofTajikistantheyusetheirownpardoztechniques.
Tajikcarversuseseveralspeciesoftreesfortheirworks.Amongthemiskaragach,alocalspeciesoftheelm-tree.Thistreegrowsthickandhighandhashardfine texture feasible forfine intricate carving.Karagach, as well as chinor andwalnut, are usedformakingfrettedpillarsanddoors.Walnutisalsousedformakingtablesandboxeswhich,ifpolished,
look really exquisite. For panjara com-positelatticeslocalsoftspeciesofwillowarepreferable.Mulberrytree,socommoninTajikistan, isusedformakingmusicalinstruments. Linden and apricot-tree arechosenmostly for inlays.Poplar, thoughbeingsoftandlight,isnotstrongenough,and isusuallyused foronlyvery simplecarvingdesigns.
To find and cut down the requiredtreeisonlyonepartofthebusiness.Freshwood does not fit for woodcarving. Itneedsseasoninginadryandwarmplace,with logs and planks being placed in averticalpositiontopreventdeformation.
