TranslateSandalwood carving produces some of the finest detail work in Indian craft, using the dense, fine-grained and intensely fragrant heartwood of the sandal tree. Artisans in Tamil Nadu carve deity figures, elephants, jewellery boxes, fans and beads, working at a scale where a single figure may be only a few centimetres tall.
Origin district
Coimbatore, Erode, Salem and Dharmapuri; sandal grows in the Western Ghats belt
Materials
Sandalwood heartwood; fine chisels, gravers and files
Typical uses
Deity figures, boxes, beads, fans, decorative panels
Where to buy
Licensed government emporiums such as Poompuhar
Only heartwood is used, as it carries the oil that gives the fragrance. The block is cut and roughed out, then worked with very fine chisels and gravers. Because the grain is dense and even, sandalwood can hold undercut detail that would splinter in other timbers, allowing lattice work and layered relief.
Pieces are finished by sanding and buffing only. No varnish or polish is applied, since a coating would seal in the fragrance.
Sandalwood has long been used in South Indian temple ritual, both as carved icons and as paste for anointing. The tree is a protected species in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and its harvest and sale are strictly regulated by the forest department. Legitimate carved sandalwood therefore comes from licensed sources and is priced accordingly.
Government emporiums including Poompuhar and Cauvery outlets sell sandalwood carvings with proper documentation. Museums in Chennai and Thanjavur display older pieces. Be cautious with cheap roadside "sandalwood" items, which are commonly other timbers scented with sandal oil.
