Frazer Andrade
frazerandrade@herald-goa.com
BENAULIM: Born in Navelim at his maternal grandmother’s house, Joaquim Furtado has spent the last 44 years dedicating himself to the art of carpentry, which started as a childhood
hobby and eventually blossomed into his profession. Now 62, Joaquim reflects on his journey, stating, “I had no other hobby but carpentry.”
His passion for working with wood took root in 1980 when he first picked up the craft, inspired by his father, João Santana Furtado, a master carpenter. “Carpentry entered our family with my father. Before that, my grandfather worked mostly on constructing mud houses,” Joaquim shares. Although his father had hoped he would pursue a career in mechanical engineering, Joaquim found himself drawn to carpentry, and engineering was never his true calling.
In the early days, Joaquim learned the basics from a neighbourhood carpenter. However, when his mentor moved abroad, Joaquim was left with only a foundational understanding of the trade. Undeterred, he opened his own small carpentry outlet, hiring a skilled worker for just Rs 12 a day to assist and further train him. This marked the beginning of Joaquim’s professional journey.
For Joaquim, the busiest seasons of the year are April-May and November-January, coinciding with wedding season when customers seek traditional wedding trousseau cupboards. “Each cupboard takes about a week to complete if two people are working on it,” he explains, noting that electric machines have significantly sped up the process
compared to the manual labour of earlier days. “Without electricity, it would take much longer to finish,” he adds.
Joaquim’s carpentry repertoire extends beyond cupboards. He also crafts sofa sets, tables, dressing tables, beds, and wall cabinets. “If time allows, I also take on orders for staircase railings,” he says, mentioning that contemporary designs featuring glass and mirrors have become increasingly popular among
his clients.
In his workshop, Joaquim uses various types of wood, including jackfruit tree wood, teak, Shivonn, and Bendhi, with teak being the most commonly used. While he previously worked with rosewood, it’s now less common due to changing availability and demand. He sources most of his wood from sawmills, as this is a more convenient option than private sourcing, which involves lengthy procedures.
He typically works eight hours a day, maintaining a consistent schedule. For any intricate
carving work, Joaquim outsources the task since he lacks in-house carving specialists. “Sadly, there are hardly any locals into carving,” he laments.
Sourcing jackfruit wood presents a unique challenge, as it must often be brought in from Karnataka. Reliable labour is another issue Joaquim faces, with only one of his three helpers being Goan. Reflecting on the changing costs of his trade, Joaquim recalls, “In 1981, an average cupboard would cost Rs 800-1000. Now, that same cupboard costs about Rs 70,000.” He attributes the price increase to the skyrocketing cost of raw materials, with wood prices rising from Rs 45 to Rs 1500 per foot over the years.
Joaquim’s father, João Santana, was known for crafting traditional items like oratories, cradles, and four-poster beds—furniture styles that have largely fallen
out of fashion today. “Hardly anyone opts for these kinds of furniture anymore,” Joaquim notes, reflecting on the changing trends in carpentry.
In the earlier years of his career, Joaquim would sell his furniture at feast fairs in various locations such as Navelim, Chinchinim, Nuvem, Panjim, Mapusa, and Vasco. He recalls the days when transportation was limited, and he had to wait for his turn to get a tempo to move his goods. Today, he operates exclusively from his workshop in Benaulim, where customers can visit and purchase his handcrafted pieces.