This thesis reports on the findings of a three year study on the economIc aspects of the woodcarving industry in Kenya. Woodcarving provides one of the most important uses of wood in Kenya both in terms of economic returns (export value estimated at US$ 20 million annually) and generation of self-employment opportunities (60,000 carvers and estimated 350,000 dependants). The industry is facing an imminent collapse owing to the depletion of prime carving tree species which has supported it since 1919. The key objectives of the study were; (a) To quantify the diversity of species in trade (volumes) and their pricing trends both for the raw materials and products (carvings); (b) determination of profit margins that accrue from carving activities and prices of these species for alternative uses; (c) to look into the possibility of onfarm production of fast growing species (Azadirachta indica) for carving, as well as Brachylaena huillensis . Each of these was pursued mainly through field surveys at seven main areas where carving is carried out in Kenya. The annual carving volume consumed in Kenya is in excess of 15,000 cubic metres concentrated on about ten tree species. However about 57% of this volume is contributed by Brachylaena huillensis. Diameter profiles of logs of the carving wood is dominated by 10-16 cm diameter timber which is an indication of resource scarcity where juvenile trees are increasingly being targeted. The prices of carving wood are distorted and are far helow the market prices largely due to the prevalence of illegal sourcing from state forests. The study has estimated that the stumpage level for Brachylaena huillensis should be raised from Ksh 4 053 to Ksh 12 000 per m3 if control on the current level of depletion is to be ensured. For the other species, the current stumpage levels need to be raised three fold. The weaknesses of the existing policies and legislation governing the access to carving wood have been examined and appropriate recommendations have been given. However, as a long term measure to benefit the carvers and conservation of the last remaining East African forests, changing buyer and carving wood sourcing behaviour from unsustainable felling of slow growing hardwoods to sustainable on-farm production is discussed. The study demonstrates that Azadirachta indica can attain a carvable size with a dbh of 16 cm in 17 years. The study has also established that potential profits (revenue) which can accrue from carvings made per unit wood volume (one cubic metre of wood or equivalent to about 20 logs of I.Sm long, 20cm diameter) can be as high as Ksh 270,000 within a period of four months. This is about four times the unit value of sawn timber of some of the finest hardwoods in the Kenyan market. The study therefore calls for restrictions on the utilization of these prime carving species on uses other than carving. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 268-284). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (MPhil) -- AUT University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print ( leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.) in the Archive at the City Campus (T 704.0399442 THY)

Akademisk avhandling-Lund. / Extra t. p. with thesis note inserted. Includes bibliographical references and index.

Lo Ka Yu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 334-341). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Lo Ka Yu. / 論文擇要 --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgments --- p.iii / Table of Content --- p.iv / List of Figures --- p.vi / List of Tables --- p.xv / Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Questions raised --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Literature in Chinese wood carving and symbolic language --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3 --- Methodology and field work --- p.26 / Chapter 1.4 --- Content of the thesis --- p.29 / Jixiang 吉祥 carvings --- p.30 / Chapter 2.1 --- An exhibition of wishes --- p.30 / Chapter 2.2 --- Chinese: People of symbols --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3 --- Chinese Sense of Auspiciousness --- p.37 / Chapter 2.4 --- Chinese House: symbols and jixiang 吉祥 --- p.41 / Chapter 2.5 --- Jixiang 吉祥 motifs in wood carvings --- p.44 / Chapter 2.6 --- "Motifs, symbols and symbolic language" --- p.47 / Domestic Decorations --- p.55 / Chapter 3.1 --- Tai Fu Tai 大夫第，San Tin 新田 --- p.57 / Chapter 3.2 --- "No. 123 village house, San Tin 新田" --- p.104 / Chapter 3.3 --- Ching Shu Hin 清暑軒，Ping Shan 屏山 --- p.107 / Chapter 3.4 --- "No. 93 village house, Shui Tsan Tin Tsuen 水盞田村" --- p.141 / Chapter 3.5 --- "No. 32&33 village houses, Ha Tin Liu Ha 下田寮下" --- p.143 / Ceremonial Buildings --- p.147 / Chapter 4.1 --- Man Ancestral Hall 文氏宗祠，San Tin 新田 --- p.149 / Chapter 4.2 --- Man Lun Fung ancestral hall 麟峰文公祠，San Tin 新田 --- p.155 / Chapter 4.3 --- Kun Ting Study Hall 覲廷書室，Ping Shan 屏山 --- p.171 / Chapter 4.4 --- Wai Hing Study Hall 渭卿書室，Ping Shan 屏山 --- p.198 / Chapter 4.5 --- Yan Dun Kong Study Hall 仁敦岡書室，Ping Shan 屏山 --- p.201 / Chapter 4.6 --- Sin Sui Study Hall 善述書室，Lung Yeuk Tau 龍躍頭 --- p.217 / Religious Buildings --- p.246 / Chapter 5.1 --- Tung Shan Temple 東山古廟，San Tin 新田 --- p.248 / Chapter 5.2 --- Kwan Tai Temple 關帝古廟，Tai O 大澳 --- p.251 / Chapter 5.3 --- "Yeung Hau Temple 楊侯古廟, Tai O 大澳" --- p.262 / Symbolic Language of Wood Carvings --- p.277 / Chapter 6.1 --- Symbols - pictorial vocabularies --- p.277 / Chapter 6.2 --- Symbolic meanings --- p.284 / Chapter 6.3 --- Reading the Symbolic language --- p.287 / Chapter 6.4 --- Dynamics of Symbolic Language --- p.312 / Conclusion --- p.316 / Appendix I --- p.319 / Appendix II --- p.320 / Appendix III --- p.321 / Appendix IV --- p.323 / Appendix V --- p.326 / Appendix VI --- p.327 / Bibliography --- p.334 / Manuscripts before 1911 --- p.334 / Works after 1911 --- p.336 / Other References --- p.341

Thesis (MScFor) (Forest and Wood Science)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / While the contribution of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in sustaining livelihoods of the poor is gaining global attention, the importance of woodcarving trade in sustaining the livelihoods of the poor people has been poorly researched. A study was conducted in Cape Town area of the Western Province, South Africa to assess the contribution of woodcarving trade to the livelihoods of the traders and the dynamics of the trade, and institutional constraints impacting on the development of the trade. A total of 61 traders in wood carving, as well as municipal authorities and key informants, were interviewed using structured questionnaires; note taking, personal observations, and in-depth interview based open-ended questions. The findings of the study revealed that the woodcarving trade is a highly male (69%) dominated activity. Most traders were married (55%) and most of the respondents (63%) fell within the active age group of 21-35 years. The wood carving trade was dominated by highly literate people with 66% and 25% having reached secondary and tertiary education, respectively. The study also revealed that “earning a living” represented the single most important factor (70%) that pushed people into the wood carving trade. Most traders (85%) did not own property but for those who owned property, 56% were South Africans followed by Zimbabweans (22%). The study showed that most of the woodcarving products arriving in the Western Cape come from the SADC region accounting for 78% of the products. Malawi (36%), Zimbabwe (30%) and Kenya (13%) are the main sources of the wooden crafts curio into the Western Cape woodcraft market. The study also found that Dalbergia melanoxylon from Zimbabwe (47%) and Malawi (16%) and Brachylaena huillensis from Kenya (47%) and Afzelia quanzensis from Zimbabwe (27%) represent the most traded wood species. The wood for carving was mainly accessed through intermediate agents (48%) and on site purchase (43%); and polishing represented the most important process (80%) of value adding compared to painting and shining. Personal cars (38%) and buses (36%) were the main means of transportation used compared to other forms of transport. It was shown that cost (48%) and customer based price (33%) represented the main pricing methods used by traders. Shop owners had an average income estimated at R 6, 450 and R 2, 692 in good and lean month sales, respectively. In addition, seasonality represented the single most important factor (56%) threatening the woodcarving industry and the livelihood of urban traders compared to factors such as quality of wood product (18%) and scarcity of the resource (10%). This study found that traders had difficulties accessing physical infrastructures (87%); social assets (50%) and human capital (74%). On the other hand, 62% of the traders did not seem to have problems accessing natural assets. As a livelihood strategy, traders also undertook multiple activities including sale of minor products as well as soliciting extra help from companions and/or hiring extra help during peak seasons. For the sustainability of the woodcarving trade in the Western Cape, there is a need for sustained, long-term management of wood species used for carving through domestication and use of alternative wood species. In addition, policies should promote: (i) integrated resource use that will ensure maximum utilisation of the wood from a single tree e.g. timber and wood carving, (ii) the culture of association and cooperation among traders, (iii) collaborative mechanisms involving all players from the forest and the tourism sector as well as the traders, (iv) secure traders’ livelihood assets, (v) an environment favourable to business venture’s expansion and growth through micro-finance and micro-credit schemes.

No description available.

The study examines the woodcraft trade in the Hazyview area through the application of the value chain methodology as adapted from the works of writers such as Kaplinsky and Morris (2001), McCormick and Schmitz (2002) and Sturgeon (2001). Several methods of collecting data were employed (triangulation): value chain analysis, interviews, observation and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that the woodcraft value chain comprises several actors: the informal craft workers, assistant craft workers, retailers and consumers of crafts, located at the various levels of the chain. The informal craft workers, who are the main focus of this study, are mostly involved in the production and selling level of the value chain, while the formal traders (e.g. craft retailers, wholesalers, curio shop owners) are involved in selling, marketing and branding of the crafts. Although craft workers also sell and 'market' their crafts by the roadside, the findings show that these activities do not yield substantial profit for them, as they lack the necessary rents to make a sustainable income out of crafts. The lack of innovation (introduction of new products), product diversification, access to new markets, and other factors that characterize the informal wood craft trade have implications in terms of competitiveness and the sustainability of the woodcraft trade as a source of income of the informal traders. The findings show that the challenges facing the informal woodcraft traders are also aggravated by high levels of competition that has emerged in recent years due to globalization and democratization, which have seen the opening of South African borders to craft workers from other parts of the world, especially Africa. Of importance though is the fact that the informal traders lack crucial rents that are essential for them to remain competitive. These rents include: resource, marketing, infrastructure, financial and policy rents. The findings show that, unless traders acquire these rents their trade remains uncompetitive and unsustainable. There are also economic and environmental implications emanating from the findings as the analysis shows that wood for carving is no longer a free natural resource as it used to be in the past years, but a scarce economic resource. The analysis further shows that the problems that traders experience are both endogenous and exogenous in nature. It is clear that traders need to deal with endogenous issues such as innovation, upgrading of the value chains, diversification and other internal issues and processes. With the necessary support, traders could deal with these problems. Policy would, however, need to address exogenous issues such as controlling the flooding of the SA craft market with cheap crafts, mostly from the neighbouring states and other countries in Africa (not excluding countries outside the continent of Africa). Creating an 'enabling environment' for the woodcraft trade is important e.g. Financial, logistic, capital and other support measures. Indeed, what has emerged in the analysis of this study is that people's livelihoods (under the current and prevailing conditions) are under threat. In the context of poverty and high unemployment levels, something would have to be done to deal with the crisis facing the informal traders. This study concludes by making the necessary recommendations on what could be done to redress the situation. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

This creative project interpreted and applied the buffalo in Native American culture - its symbolism, significance and virtues - to woodcarvings for the lives of people today. The carvings explored a range of styles, media and symbols but all use buffalo imagery and each piece represents how I have applied the buffalo to my life. Some pieces are based on historical events while others explore personal emotions. Wood surfaces differ from natural or bleached to painted. No style unifies the body of work. In each piece realism and abstraction, positive and negative space is handled differently. Buffalo facts and myths were interpreted to convey what white people can learn from the buffalo. It was a spiritual link and messenger from Native Americans to the Great Spirit. The buffalo was revered and respected as a vital in the life cycle. White man destroyed the buffalo during the nineteenth century through the acts of greed, disrespect and ignorance. It seems to have returned with a message for people of all races. This message is one that must be found within each individual. / Department of Art

"Hawaiian glossary": leaves 604-615. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 616-639) / Microfiche. / xxiv, 639 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm