'Full sets of handmade furniture are also made by wood carvers'
| Wood carving is probably the most prolific of crafts
in Khiva, with every other Madrassah converted into a wood work
shop. Large felled tree trunks can be seen outside many of the houses
in the Ichan Kala; a give away sign that a wood carver lives there.
Wood carving has become a lucrative business, as the nouveau rich
from Urgench and Tashkent order decadent dining room tables and
throne chairs. Tourism is also a good earner with Koran stands,
boxes of all shapes and sizes, cutting boards and walking sticks
making excellent souvenirs. Khiva offers a much better selection
of wood than Bukhara or Samarkand and the craftsmanship is, in general,
to a very high standard.
|
'A master by his handiwork' |