Shukr Wall Carving — Arabic Calligraphy

THE PIECE

Shukr — gratitude, the practice of recognizing what has been given. The word sits at the center of Islamic daily life, repeated in prayer and conversation alike. This wall carving renders it in beech wood sourced from the Black Sea forests of northern Turkey, with the English word “Gratitude” carved beneath the Arabic — a piece that speaks across languages, sitting naturally alongside the Sabr carving as a pair of everyday virtues.

The calligraphy is carved using V-carving — angled cutting bits that follow the curve of each letter, the depth of the cut shifting with the form of the script itself. Each piece is shaped by CNC using 45° and 60° V-bits, then finished entirely by hand — the edges cleaned, the depth refined, until the script reads with the clarity it deserves.

THE FINISH

Once the carving is complete, the recessed areas — where the calligraphy is cut into the wood — are treated with a walnut-toned wood protector, deepening the contrast between the script and the surrounding beech. The rest of the piece receives a finish of pure olive oil, nothing else, which absorbs into the wood and brings out its natural warm tone. No varnish, no lacquer beyond the walnut tone in the carved depth — the contrast is structural, not painted on.

SIZE

— 9.4 × 11.6 in (24 × 29.5 cm)

A NOTE ON NATURAL VARIATION

No two pieces are identical. The grain shifts from one block of wood to the next — tone, texture, and pattern will differ slightly from what you see in the photograph. What arrives is its own thing.

READY TO DISPLAY

A metal wall hook is fitted to the back before shipping. Also suitable for shelf or tabletop display. No tools, no assembly.