Artisanal furniture
By RENITA CHE WAN
Photos by ART CHEN
The artisans from Peshawar in Pakistan are renowned for their hand-carved wooden furniture ranging from treasure chests and swings to knick knacks. Pick up a "conversation piece" this Raya.
WOODEN furniture has always stood out for its durability, elegance and design. A well-crafted piece makes a fantastic visual anchor for a room and is bound to be a conversation starter.
Artisans from Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's North-west Frontier Province, are famous for their outstanding hand-carved wooden furniture which normally costs an arm and a leg.
Hussain (left) and Mushi at their shop in Tropicana Mall, Petaling Jaya.If you've always wanted to own a piece of this furniture, this might be the month to make the purchase as Hussain Maju Sdn Bhd, which retails fine old and new rosewood furniture, is having a 60% sale on all of its products.
Besides furniture, it also sells handmade carpets, marble crafts, brass knick-knacks and other eye-catching decorative accessories for the house.
The outlet is virtually an Aladdin's cave filled with all sorts of furniture including swings, tables, rocking chairs and treasure chests.
"Look closely at the furniture. See the intricate carvings on them? They are individually carved about 6mm deep by the woodmakers, who fill them with brass to seal the designs," says 22-year-old Mushi Hussain, who owns the place with his father Hussain, 46.
Most of the items are made in Pakistan and come in two carving styles - Punjabi or Mughal. The ones with the bigger carving designs are Punjabi while the Mughal styles have smaller designs.
"This type of furniture is prized because of its ethnic flavour," Hussain says.
"The items are normally made from mango wood, rosewood or sheesham wood and generally possess a rustic style," he adds.
Each item of furniture comes with a lifetime guarantee. If any piece gets broken or is damaged in any way, Hussain or his father will do the repairs.
Decadent: The swing can take up to four adults at a time and is decorated with a Mughal design.Customers can even get custom-made items, if they are willing to wait between two and three months for the item to be crafted.
To keep the rosewood products in good condition, Hussain suggests wiping them regularly with Pledge furniture polish to maintain the glossy surface. "Always use a cotton cloth to wipe," he says.
He also suggests placing the furniture away from windows and to keep them dry.
Hussain Maju Sdn Bhd is at G-07, Tropicana City Mall, Damansara Jaya, Selangor.
(http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/9/13/sundaymetro/4674346&sec=SundayMetro)
