(5 Dec 2017) LEADIN
A small Bosnian family-owned woodcarving company is hoping to get recognition from UNESCO.
Their application to be put on the World Intangible Heritage list is to be discussed at UNESCO's summit meeting in South Korea.
STORYLINE:
In the small town of Konjic in southern Bosnia, two brothers, Orhan and Adem Niksic, have embraced the long tradition of wood carving, incorporating it into modern furniture design.
Bosnia, the highland of the Balkans, has hundreds of years' tradition in wood industry and modelling of furniture, but today, the Niksic family has raised it to another level, introducing handmade art into the carving of everyday furniture.
Besim Niksic, their father, says that it's simply the love of the craft of woodcarving that has led to the company's success.
"It's only love. Ever since I can remember, I used to come into my father's workshop, I used to play with the leftover wood, I played with used nails, so the love for wood has remained stuck in my heart. Our town, Konjic, is well known for having quality wood, especially for wood carving, and that is from the walnut tree, maple tree, cherry and pear trees," he says.
The family's main business is a small woodcarving factory called "Zanat" - which means 'craft' in Bosnian.
Zanat brings together wood designers and craftsman who create original pieces of furniture such as chairs, tables, sofas and closets.
The intricate carvings feature typically Bosnian motifs, such as flowers that are found in the mountains nearby.
"In the wood carving of Konjic, we have several motifs we use, but we mostly use 'Bosnian motifs' and those are motifs that we take from the surrounding nature. It's basically the flowers around us, the flowers that can be thick (abundant), and our craftsman are transferring these motifs to the wood and the items that we are producing," says Besim Niksic.
The company's success in the furniture market has led to the Niksic brothers hiring 30 more people and teaching them the art of wood carving so they can satisfy the high demand for their products.
The most prestigious shops around the world are selling Niksic's furniture, with individual items reaching prices of more then 20,000 US dollars.
The Niksic family makes furniture only with four types of wood: cherry, maple, walnut and pear. They claim these are the best types of trees for woodcarving.
Adem Niksic, co founder of "Zanat" factory, says the traditional craft was taught to him and his brother from a young age.
"Since we were able to walk we were in the workshop. Our father taught us to work on wood carving. It often happened that other kids were playing outside but we were more happy to spend time with our father in the workshop," he says.
"We are hoping, me and my brother, that our kids will continue this business. The same as our father, he hoped that we will continue the tradition. We are trying with our kids, we are making them love this craft," he adds.
Now modern, new styles have been introduced to Niksic's furniture, combining the craftsmanship of the past with modern interior design.
The carving and furniture style developed by the family has become known as the "Bosnian Konjic Style."
The quality of the work has garnered global acclaim, and several pieces of furniture are under state protection as part of Bosnia's national cultural heritage.
In 2014, the Bosnian government officially nominated the Konjic woodcarving technique, largely created and developed by the Niksic family, to be added to the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
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