The craft is believed to be introduced by Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom (known as Makhdoom Sahab), a revered sufi saint of Kashmir and flourished under the reign of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin during 15th century.  The raw material used is specifically obtained from walnut trees (Doon kul) once it has reached the mark of being 300 years old. Only the aged trees are qualified to be used after the fruit crop is attained. The wood is stacked in plank form under shade and allowed to sit for 1-4 years for natural seasoning.

 The chief carver scrapes basic design layout on the wood and starts etching the areas as perceived, to achieve required engravings, using a set of chisel tools. The craft has transformed into more contemporary form than traditional elaborate designs, introducing a gamut of configurations.

 Carving styles mainly depend upon the depth and layers of engravings:

Khokerdar – A three dimensional undercut representation through intertwined layers of carving that may include scenes of flora, fauna, cascades, mountains or different motifs.

 Jalidahr – A lattice work (jail) of motifs or different patterns, partially see through. It’s usually done in wooden screens or partitions.

Vaboraveth – A deepest form of carving with maximum depth of carving being 5inches, is usually seen with dragon and lotus motifs.

Padri – A semi carved thin panel used as a rim of the main surface with central motifs.

Sadikaam – A shallow carving with mild depth just that the motifs look as embossed as a pencil line being a bit extruded.

 Artisane showcases the magnificent masterpieces and facilitates carving artists to create many more classic and fine pieces. Having ample space designated for wood carving, the workshop is an area providing visual interaction with the work set-up while gaining knowledge from the master artists.