Walnut wood carving is an ornamental and delicate craft process that is unique to Kashmir due to the concentration of walnut trees in this region. The raw material used for the fine woodcarving of Kashmir is obtained from walnut tree locally known as Doon Kul (Juglans regia tree) and is cut only once it matures to an age of 300 years. Walnut trees are of four varieties namely; Wantu or Vont Dun (fruit has hard shell), Dunu and Kakazi or Burzol (best fruit with lightest shell), which are cultivated while the Khanak is found in the wild.

Like most other crafts, walnut woodcarving too is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom during the reign of Zainul Abideen in the 15th century. The craft was initially restricted to the creation of elaborate palaces and houses. Written records tell of Zain-ul-Abideen`s great Razdani, palace, and its elaborate wood carvings. To this date, several fine examples of intricately carved buildings, shrines and mausoleums survive in the Valley.

The seasoned wood (can be seasoned from between 1 to 4 years stacked as planks) is hard and durable.  Its close grain and even texture facilitates fine and detailed work. Walnut wood has an inherit sheen which surfaces on its own when polished with wax or lacquer.

Wood used for carving can be from the root or trunk of the tree. The wood derived from the root is almost black with the grain more pronounced than the wood from the trunk, which is lighter in color. Branches have the lightest color with no noticeable grain. It is actually the dark part of wood, which is best for carving as it is strong. The value of the wood differs with the wood from the root being most expensive.

Walnut wood is used to make tables, jewelry boxes, trays, etc. 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.

The naqqash, master carver, first etches the basic pattern on to the wood and then removes the unwanted areas with the help of chisels and a wooden mallet so that the design emerges from the lustrous walnut wood as an embossed surface. The carving of furniture and smaller items is an elaborate process and involves high degree of skill and craftsmanship.

There are five main styles of woodcarving:

1. Undercut (Khokerdar):This type comprises multi-layers that can exceed up to seven. The overall effect tends towards three-dimensional depiction of various motifs or scenes for eg. a jungle with layers of flora, intertwined, rabbits hopping from bushes, birds flying .
2. Open or Lattice work (Jalidahr): This type of carving works in screens and employs beautiful see-through Jali work. Chinar leaf motifs and Mogul jali patterns are an example of the same.
3. Deep carving (Vaboraveth): This work is also known as raised work and the designs in this form of carving comprise dragons or lotus motifs. The depth of carved part can go up to 5 inches.
4. Semi carving (Padri): Usually this type of work comprises thin panels along the rim of the surface with a central motif.
5. Shallow carving (Sadikaam): In this, the motifs or scenes are merely chased along the lines in pencil, to give them a little depth.

The traditional tools being employed are:- chisels of different type (wathlavun), planer (randha), measuring tape (phet gaz), L-angle for obtaining parallel and perpendicular lines (khari hat) and Wooden scale (khat chhal).

The motifs on the wooden artifacts are inspired from the various natural wonders of Kashmir, Chinar leaves, Vine leaves, flowers like Lotus and Rose. The Kashmiri specialty of wood carving is best seen in the Khatamband ceilings with geometrical patterns on wood. The designs are either carved along the borders or filling the entire surface.  A single piece can take from 2 days to 6 months depending on the intricacy of the pattern.