Wood carving is one of the oldest forms of art from the Stone Age and because of its durability, availability and plasticity it has remained common art form to every culture since then. Art of wood carving includes sculpture in wood, from the decorative bas-relief on small objects to life-size figures in the round, furniture, and architectural decorations. The woods used for carving vary in hardness and grain. Different types of woods are used for carving according to availability in the region, the most widely used type of woods include mango, deodar pine, pear, walnut, willow, sandalwood, oak, and ebony. Wooden handicrafts from India are famous all over the world for their beauty and durability and wood carving in India has been around since ancient

The phrase Kashmir, the paradise on earth, is well known for its stunning handicrafts as well as its stunning natural scenery. Kashmir is renowned for its distinct style of wood carving in addition to many other artistic mediums. The arrival of handicrafts to the valley is the subject of a well-known myth. An Iranian scholar by the name of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadan once travelled to Kashmir and was astounded by its beauty as he was saddened and alarmed by the dismal economic circumstances of its residents. Shah Hamadan decided to invite Iranian artisans to Kashmir to help the local population escape poverty

History records the elaborate wood carvings of Zain-ul-Abadeen’s great Razdani palace. Several fine examples of intricately carved buildings, shrines and mausoleums are still survived in Kashmir like, the shrines of Noor-ud-din-Wali at Charar-e-Sharif, the Naqshaband mosque and the shrine of Nund Rishi. Walnut carving is protected under the geographical indication (GI) of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. It is listed at item 182 as “Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving” of the GI Act 1999 of the Government of India with registration confirmed by the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks.