In the XIX century most woodcarved products were mainly used for yurta manufacturing. Sophisticated woodcarving covered doors, hearth plates, book and jewellery caskets, as well as boxes for tools and knives. Round tables for dough rolling (as-takta) had a very peculiar position – they were hung on the wall with a carved back side, resembling a military shield. Carvings also adorned yurta furniture: sab-ayak (a stand for cereal, flour and bread storage with a large bowl placed under it) and sandik (small cupboard and stand for a pile of blankets).
Karakalpakstan traditional carving patterns included zoomorphic ornaments, such as ram (muyiz), bull and deer horns, as well as bird, bat, turtle and fish motives. Floral ornaments depicted steppe bindweed and water plants, as well as irises and tulips. These patterns were similar to those used in Khiva. Other Karakalpak carving patterns included diamonds, crossshaped forms, rosettes and spirals. Images of regular objects were also used on furniture. A sab-ayak might contain carvings of a teapot, a comb, or an axe, and door carvings may include boots, a fishing hook, a knife, and jewellery. At the end of the XIX century painting began to substitute woodcarving. Thus, sandik cupboards had beautiful paintings of a water jar and a pair of kitchen knives. It was believed that they protected the house from malign forces.
Generally, woodcarving in Karakalpakstan was used for decorating household objects and tools – cradles, musical instruments, dishes, saddles and horse’s collars, carts, boats, ayvan poles in mud houses and others. Today wood is used for construction, yurta manufacturing, national musical instruments and the production of household items, such as chests, cradles, baby walkers and others. In the XX century woodcarving traditions had a great impact on the development of fine arts, in particular sculpture.