Work Environment
The craftsmen usually work in the front rooms of their houses. They sit cross-legged on a reed mat spread on the floor. Their work bench is around one and a half feet high and slopes down towards the craftsmen. The top surface lifts up to expose a storage space for tools and unfinished pieces. Finished pieces are locked in small wooden cupboards nearby. An electric table lamp serves as a spotlight whenever natural light proves insufficient.
The work posture as well as the lighting conditions are not conducive to the long hours (12 hours on the average) put in by these craftsmen. This is a cause for many of their health problems (backache and weak eye-sight)
