Arts & Crafts of Maldives

The beautifully carved tombstones in some of the old cemeteries and the fine stone carving of the Hukuru Miskiiy in Malé bear witness to the intricate skills of Maldivian stone carvers of the past.

Maldivians are deft craftsman producing beautifully crafted pieces mostly out of what is available locally. Many of the skills have been passed on from generation to generation and lives on even today. The art of calligraphy has strong connections with the Islam. Old and new mosques display beautifully penned versus from the Holy Quran. The Islamic Center exhibits some of the finest samples of the work of modern calligraphers in the country.

While many crafts have become obsolete, others have found new life with the advent of tourism. The production of ornaments from tortoise shells and black coral once valued by visitors has now ceased completely because of the growing care ness among the public on the need to preserve the environment.

Wooden Lacquer Ware

Perhaps the most distinctive of the Maldivian handicrafts, these are almost exclusively produced in Thulhaadhoo in Baa Atoll. ‘Liye-Laajehun' as it is called in Dhivehi involves the process of shaping and hollowing out pieces of wood to form beautifully crafted boxes, containers and ornamental objects. Made using the wood from local ‘funa', (Alexandrian laurel) which grows abundantly throughout the country, they come in various shapes and sizes; small pillboxes, vases of various sizes to round and oval plates with lids. These elegant pieces are lacquered in strands of red, black and yellow resin and delicately carved with flowing flowery patterns.

Mats

Beautiful red mats are woven throughout the country, the most famous of which are those that are woven by the women of Gadhdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. ‘Thundu Kunaa' as they are known in Dhivehi ranges in size from that of a place mat to a full size single mattress. The women of Gadhdhoo collect the reeds called haa from the nearby island of Fioari . They are dried in the sun and stained with natural dyes, the colour varying from fawn to black. These mats with their intricate abstract designs are woven on a handloom according to the imagination and skill of the weaver.

Boat Building

Although the tools used in the building of dhonis have changed, little has changed of its basic design. As in the past, the boats are still being built without a documented plan. The design and symmetry of the boat emerges as the boat is being built.

Imported hardwoods are used in the place of coconut wood, which was used in the past to make the hull. Copper rivets are used to hold the planks together instead of coir, which was used for the purpose even half a century ago. The square sail made of coconut fronds gave way to a triangular lateen sail. Even though this is still considered essential and is carried on board, it is used only during emergencies or to ease the strain on the engines. Almost all dhonis are driven by diesel power.

Dhonis are mainly used for fishing and provide the live hood for a large proportion of the population. Others are modified to be used for transportation of passengers.

A dhoni may be as small as 10ft. (3 m) used mostly to travel across short distances or to traverse the shallow waters of the lagoon. Islanders often use these to ferry across to nearby islands for firewood. The average fishing dhoni used to be around 10 meters (33 feet), however the new generation fishing vessels can be twice the size or even larger. The basic design of dhonis has proven to be seaworthy as it has been tested and tuned for centuries. Even the luxury cruise vessels that are built in the country uses the same basic hull design and can be as long as 30 meters (100 feet) or more.