
In the ancient cities of Nepal, you will find an abundance of beautiful woodcarvings at the old historical monuments of Newar-Style Architecture.
Roof struts, windows, doors, and other components, elaborately carved of hard wood and joined together, characterize these fascinating buildings. The Newar master builders managed, to unite wood and brick in an im- pressive manner and create with these two materials, the unique architecture of the ancient Newar towns.
The extensively embellished wooden elements on buildings and monuments are the creation of Newar woodcarvers of the Silpakar caste. These highly talented craftsmen and artists have preserved the knowledge of wooden constructions and woodcraft for hundreds of years and passed on their skills from fathers to sons.
Culmination of artistic creation was the Licchavi period (3rd-9th century) and the time of the Malla kings in the 12th – 18th century. With the general eco- nomic decline and the decrease in demand of high-quality components in the 19th and 20th century, the quality of woodcarving declined. Only with the be- ginning of major restoration works in today’s world heritage cities Bhaktapur and Kathmandu in the 1970s the traditional crafts were revived.
Content from Heinrich Meyer’s book Kasthakala, the art of Nepalese woodcarving.
Read the full story that first appeared in The Telegraph here, and the e-paper here and here:
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