Basra craftsman turns Iraq’s heritage marsh boats into miniature replicas

BASRA — Craftsman Jawad Kadhim al-Asadi has spent 35 years building miniature replicas of the traditional mashhuf and tarada boats used across Iraq’s marshes, reproducing their construction details in pieces that have reached collectors in Iraq, Europe and Canada.

Working from his workshop in Ezz al-Din Salim, formerly known as al-Huwair, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Basra, al-Asadi makes five to six miniatures a month. Each takes about five days to complete.

Al-Asadi told 964media he was the first person in the area to take up the craft 35 years ago. His models range from 50 centimeters (20 inches) to 1.2 meters (4 feet), with the 50-centimeter version the most popular.

Prices range from 200,000 Iraqi dinars ($131) for a 50-centimeter model to 400,000 dinars ($261) for the largest version, based on an exchange rate of 1,530 dinars to $1. A 75-centimeter model sells for 250,000 dinars ($163), while a 1-meter piece costs 300,000 dinars ($196).

Al-Asadi uses several types of wood and follows many of the same construction stages used for full-size marsh boats, beginning with outlining the vessel before assembling and shaping its hull. He has also produced a miniature gondola based on the Italian boat design.

The tarada and mashhuf differ in their profiles: The tarada has a raised bow, while the ends of a mashhuf are closer in height.

Al-Asadi said tourists have carried his work to Britain, Canada and Italy, including Venice, while the miniatures are also displayed in Iraqi homes and guesthouses as representations of marsh heritage.

One of his best-known pieces was a miniature tarada presented to Pope Francis during his historic 2021 visit to the ancient city of Ur in Dhi Qar governorate.

Abu Ali al-Hajjaj, a collector of the miniatures, told 964media that his interest comes from the mashhuf’s connection to the history of Mesopotamia and said the boats remind him of his Sumerian ancestors.