Bosnia and Herzegovina

Inscribed in 2017 (12.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Konjic woodcarving is an artistic craft with a long tradition in the Konjic municipality. The woodcarvings – which include furniture, sophisticated interiors and small decorative objects – stand out for their recognizable hand-carved motifs and overall visual identity. The woodcarving is a constitutive part of the local community’s culture, a measure of the beauty and amenity of home interiors, and a tradition that forges a sense of community and belonging. The practice not only plays a very important role at the community level in Konjic, however, but also countrywide and in diaspora communities. It is an economically viable, socially inclusive and ecologically sustainable craft practised by different ethnic and confessional groups, which serves as an instrument of dialogue and cooperation. The craft is widespread among Konjic inhabitants, both as an occupation and as a hobby, and while the main bearers are trained craftspeople who work in woodcarving workshops, bearers who practise the craft at home are equally important. The owners of family-run woodcarving workshops are most responsible for safeguarding the element, training apprentice woodcarvers and popularizing the craft. Knowledge and skills are transmitted primarily through on-the-job training of novices in the practising workshops, as well as through intergenerational transmission within the family.