Wood Carving Art

Wood Carving or Oumia (Oumia is a term that means carving and drawing on wood), is a group of crafts that transform wood into beautiful art forms. Wood carving is one of the oldest arts in history, dating back to ancient times, and was used by Ottomans to decorate various buildings with wooden pieces, whether carved or engraved or painted; such as mosque pulpits, chests, Quran holders, clothing chests, cabinets, chairs, as well as geometric designs.

Currently, "Oumia" is associated with furniture, so most Oumia workshops are located in areas where furniture makers gather, such as the coastal city of Damietta and some areas within Cairo, such as Jamaliya, Suez Street, Abdeen, Imbaba, Al-Zawaya Al-Hamra, and Basatin. Those who work in this profession are called "Oumiaj". This art is not new, it has been present since ancient times. The prominent carvings on the walls of temples or their facades, some of which are taken from nature such as tree leaves, while others depict people or animals, demonstrate that this art has existed in Pharaonic, Roman, Greek, and Sumerian temples.

Some of the most famous countries in modern times where this art is prevalent include Italy, Cyprus, and Damascus in the Syrian Arab Republic. Damietta stands out in Egypt as most of its residents work in this craft as part of their carpentry profession. The most important hand tools used by those who work in this craft are:

Old Tools

* Wooden mallet
* Various sizes of chisels and gouges
* Jacks
* Brineo
* Khishkhan
* Various sizes of scraper
* Japanese knife (carving tool)
* File
* Sandpaper
* Polishing tools

Modern Tools

* Electric wood carving machines that save time and effort. Recently, some semi-automatic and automatic machines have appeared, such as the Oumia engraving machine, router, and computer-controlled machine for producing modern masters.

Eastern Wood Carving Patterns

The Eastern wood carving patterns are called "threads of carvings". These threads started out shallow but soon developed over time to combine both shallow and deep carvings.

Types of Eastern Wood Carving Patterns:

* Qasri
+ The Qasri style was widespread in the past, but today it is rare. It features prominent shafts and nails, some of which are filled while others are empty. These shafts are usually surrounded by circular or oval shapes, sometimes double and sometimes single, empty. This style was used to make old chests that were presented with a bride's dowry, as well as modern-day trays, some plates, and tables.
* Arabi
+ The wood carvings of this thread demonstrate the influence of Byzantine and Sassanian arts, evident in the wooden decorations found in Al-Aqsa Mosque, which feature many plant motifs, including acanthus leaves, Jewish hooks, and three-leafed plant motifs. These can be made from iron, copper, or wood and take various geometric shapes.
+ This style dates back to the days of the Umayyads, where it was found on the doors of internal Umayyad mosques. In general, all ancient buildings in Damascus that date back to this era are characterized by this type.

Other patterns include:

* Tannawi
* Ibn Tomert Al-Adadiya

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