Handpainted Wooden Masks

Origin: One of the famous wood carvings down south of India, Thammampatti wood carvings hail from the Oddar community in Salem. People of this community have won over 40 accolades for their craftsmanship.

Technique: These wood carvings are made by an eco-friendly process. Mainly vaagai wood is utilized for these carvings. Firstly, a process called “Jaadippu” is done. In this process, the basic sketch is made directly over the wood or using a paper and the preliminary set of carving is done. Over this basic carving further sculpting is done. The details are engraved to beatify this piece of art. Once the carvings are chiseled to life, they are then smoothened and polished for the radiant outlook. One of the interesting facts about these Thammampatti wood carvings are that they always have 7 equal parts when measured from the top.