Pakistan’s Swat valley is a place of great natural beauty. Besides mountain views, clear lakes and fresh air it also offers a sort of adventurous insight into what the life in the area used to be before. The traditional villages and homes, which nowadays already feature cars, TV’s or irons, still present the mastery of traditional wood workmanship and carving. Also presented in furnishing, the art of carving has been preserved here and evolving since centuries. The cedar forests have always been a supply of quality wood which the craftsmen skillfully transformed into carved art - applied to many ordinary furniture pieces as cabinets, daybeds, storage chests, but also to more sophisticated

items. Pakistan’s typical include arches and pillars - structures supporting the extended roof over the porch in front of the house, entrance gates to the home or temple, or just simple window frames, which people today like to transform into mirrors or use these artistic frames as the top of a coffee table. The rich woodwork tradition developed a high degree of technical excellence in the field of wood workmanship. Dense carved patterns, along with occasional use of bright colors would be the typical characteristics of Pakistani wooden arts and decorated building elements. The classic Swati motifs combine repeating geometric shapes with incorporated natural forms to create a complete image. They usually feature simple forms as circles or squares with variety of flower leaves shapes. Dense compositions of simple patterns in most of the carvings make any furnishing item from coffee tables to chests and cabinets be an unusual piece of art with a value and look that people appreciate.
Greek influence may be sensed slightly throughout the region. The contact with Greek and Roman world was made thru Alexander the Great, whose army reached the Swat area some 2300 years ago, leaving a footprint on regional architecture and design conceptions.
For unusuall style furniture seekers the charm of Pakistani and similar Indian antiques is there to be discovered