A speaker at a meet on art history in Ranchi on Monday. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, Dec. 22: Woodcraft, one of the oldest forms of art, is dying out and only proper patronage and preservation can save it.

This was the crux of the papers presented on the concluding day of the 17th All India Art History Congress held at Abhinandan hall on Booty Road today. The theme of the three-day session was woodcraft in India. The event was organised by the state art and culture, sports and youth affairs department in collaboration with the Centre.

Delegates from across the country presented their papers on various aspects of Indian woodcraft.

The subjects included Kashmiri walnut craft, Putanabadh wooden sculptures of Kerala temples, woodcut handprints on clothes of Sangener in Rajasthan, wooden architecture of Chettinand, homeland of the wealthy Nattukottai Chettiars of the south, growth of woodcut prints in Calcutta, the impact of Islamic architecture on wood carvings and the past and present of Varanasi toys.

“Wood architecture of our country has been highly influenced by Islamic and Christian wood art,” said N.A. Kumar of Secunderabad. Kumar cited the examples of woodworks of Kashmir, Saharanpur (UP), Goa, West Coast and Kerala to prove his point.

M.N.P. Tiwari of Banaras Hindu University observed that art, in all forms, offers a manifestation of the mindset of contemporary society.

“For example, the art of Khajuraho temples reflects the harmony that existed in the Chandelaa society. Vaishnavs, Shaivaites and Jains co-existed together at that time,” he said.

On the other hand, Shanti Swarup Sinha, associated with the department of art history at BHU, traced the impact of Islamic influence on the Jain temples of Rajasthan.

Saroj Rani, also from BHU, discussed the transformation of 19th century woodcut prints of Calcutta as found in Battala, Ahiritola, Manicktola, Bagbazar and Shyambazar.