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Meet The Family Keeping 2000-Year-Old Swat Wood Carving Art Alive In Pakistan | Still Standing
Meet The Family Keeping 2000-Year-Old Swat Wood Carving Art Alive In Pakistan | Still Standing
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0:01
Narrator: Swat carving is an ancient art
0:03
that goes back 2,000 years in modern-day Pakistan.
0:07
It can take up to seven wood carvers
0:09
and 25 days to complete a large piece.
0:13
A small mistake could ruin it all.
0:16
The unique Gandhara style features a blend
0:18
of Buddhist and Greco-Roman influences.
0:22
At one point, this form of wood carving
0:24
was a thriving industry in Swat Valley,
0:26
a region near the Afghanistan border.
0:29
But many artisans, including the Mustaan family,
0:31
fled after Taliban forces took control of Swat in 2007.
0:36
Now in its third location,
0:38
the shop continues to face challenges.
0:41
We visited their traditional workshop
0:43
to see how it's still standing.
0:47
The Mustaans' workshop is called Zarshal.
0:50
It sits in Lahore,
0:51
about 300 miles away from their original home.
0:54
But they still keep many of the same traditions.
1:03
Narrator: Abdul Mustaan runs it with his two oldest sons,
1:06
Zain ul Abdeen and Ziauddin.
1:22
Narrator: Workers start by cutting the wood
1:23
into smaller pieces.
1:25
They use both electric saws and handsaws.
1:30
A small mistake could ruin the planned design.
1:37
They sand the wood down, and then they plane it,
1:40
making the surface smooth, clean, and flat.
1:46
Next comes the most difficult part, carving.
1:51
Workers need to sharpen their tools
1:53
until they can cut like razor blades.
2:06
Narrator: Some craftsmen don't have to plan out a design.
2:09
Instead they work freehand, without following a sketch.
2:13
It can take up to five years just to learn the basics.
2:27
Narrator: Before the finishing touches,
2:29
Zarshal sends the carved pieces
2:30
to a shop in Islamabad for painting.
2:33
Workers assemble and finalize them here
2:36
once they return.
2:38
They treat the wood with potassium.
2:40
This solution gives off a bright red hue
2:42
when first applied.
2:44
The color will turn brown as it dries,
2:47
giving it an antique look.
2:49
Then they apply furniture polish.
2:53
Finally, they coat each piece with a sealant
2:56
before sending it off to customers.
3:00
A large item like this dining table
3:02
can cost up to 150,000 Pakistani rupees,
3:06
or $860.
3:09
The intricate and tight patterns
3:10
are what set Swat carving apart from others.
3:22
Narrator: Gandhara style originates
3:23
from the Buddhist civilization
3:25
that spread through the region in the third century BC.
3:28
Swat Valley, the birthplace of this carving style,
3:31
was once a part of it.
3:33
To this day, the Buddhist influence
3:35
is evident in Swati carvings' grid-like order,
3:39
which gives a sense of harmony and balance.
3:43
Even as borders and cultures changed
3:45
over hundreds of years, the art survived.
3:50
Abdul established his first shop
3:52
in the Khwazakhela area of Swat Valley in 1996
3:55
after he retired from the Pakistani army.
3:58
But the Taliban occupied the region in 2007
4:01
and shut down many forms of arts and entertainment.
4:06
The shop started receiving threats.
4:09
Abdul himself was a target.
4:10
As a retired soldier,
4:11
he was considered an enemy of the Taliban.
4:24
Narrator: The Pakistani army drove out the Taliban in 2009.
4:28
But Abdul still worries now that the extremist group
4:31
has regained control of Afghanistan.
4:35
Still, these aren't the only hurdles for the family.
4:38
Raw materials are scarce and expensive,
4:42
and the pandemic has slowed down business,
4:44
forcing some shops to close.
4:48
Abdul says most of his customers today are wealthy locals.
4:53
And fewer artisans are learning the trade
4:55
because sales are scarce and the pay is so low.
4:59
Abdul even discouraged his youngest son
5:01
from joining the business.
5:05
Like some workers in Pakistan,
5:07
the employees at Zarshal all live, eat,
5:09
and work together at the shop.
5:12
That's why it's common for them to work long hours.
5:17
Air conditions are risky, too.
5:19
Sawdust fills the air.
5:22
Despite it all, Ziauddin plans on teaching the skill
5:25
to people in the surrounding areas,
5:27
so that his love of the craft can continue.
