Manulution

Manulution is the Washington, DC based subsidiary of Rukotvorine (Eng. Handcrafts) company from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Founded in 1927 by our grandfather, Adem Niksic, the company belongs to the category of European family-owned enterprises that through generations of uncompromising quality and innovation become symbols of a city and its traditions. In the 19th century, Adem and his brothers began to expand on a centuries-old woodcarving technique originating in the small Bosnian town of Konjic. Based on this legacy we have been building heirloom quality hand-carved furniture since 1927. Adem developed this entirely new furniture style, which has come to be known as the „Bosnian Konjic style“. His pieces found home in the residencies and offices of the Austro-Hungarian aristocrats and villas of the elite in South Central Europe. Today several pieces of our furniture are under the State protection as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national cultural heritage. Our products and the woodcarving technique perfected through four generations of carvers were featured in a UNESCO publication on exceptional craftsmanship in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Now, efforts are underway to include the Konjic woodcarving technique in the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The family's devotion to quality and uniqueness helped the company survive the socialist era. Now, with the tragic events of the 90s behind us, we are again enjoying a renaissance in this family enterprise. Our new products with traditional designs and reproductions of our old ones are again in high demand in Bosnia and abroad, sought after by aficionados of exceptional and authentic craftsmanship, quality European hardwoods, and uncompromising ethical and environmental standards we embrace. While the company’s long history and the use of traditional carving techniques may classify us as traditionalist, our culture of passion for innovation and modern design make us young and contemporary. This has not changed since Adem launched the company in 1927. His products then were modern and even avant-garde for the Balkans region. Today, we continue to espouse the hand-carving techniques developed by Adem, but lines of modern, designer furniture are the testimony of our young and innovative spirit. Manulution is not only the company’s name. It is the term we coined to express the philosophy behind our modern designer products. It is a search for a new paradigm in furniture design and production. Several things we value gave birth to Manulution. In design we value diversity, uniqueness, and authenticity. We hold in high esteem skilled manual work and craftsmanship. Yet, a combination of these qualities in today’s globalized world is hard to find. Products and places are increasingly homogenized. In the world of modern technology there appears to be little room for skilled craftsmen. Design ideas are unique and special only until they leave a designer’s notebook. We are rebelling against this paradigm and launching a revolution, a revolution of skilled manual work, a manulution. In our products tradition is effortlessly blended into modernity. A synergy of design, technology, and traditional craftsmanship renders manulution a reality. Working with some of the most talented professional designers in the Balkans region, who find inspiration in our traditional designs, we have been developing new lines of distinctive and authentic designer furniture. We source sustainably exploited local hardwoods (e.g. walnut, cherry, maple, elm, ash, and oak) and use modern technology to process them. Then, exceptionally skilled craftsmen apply our traditional hand-carving techniques to modern furniture designs and innovative carving patterns. We finish each piece by hand in natural and ecologically friendly finishes. All products are produced in limited editions and no two products can ever be the same.