Zanat serving bowls

The Zanat brand was established in 1927 by Gano Niksic in the town of Konjic, just outside Sarajevo, Bosnia. By chance, Niksic discovered a unique traditional woodcarving technique, a craft he continued to develop and passed on to his son Adem.

In 1927, Adem Niksic launched a brand that produced exclusive furniture using the traditional woodcarving technique. The brand quickly became a success and produced handmade furniture and decorative objects made of hardwood, beautifully decorated with carved patterns. Due to periods of unrest in Europe and Yugoslavia during the 20th century, Zanat was forced to pause its production for a few years. It then resumed, and the furniture contributed to the establishment of the Bosnian handicraft art that is so widely acclaimed today. Zanat has now been in operation for more than four generations, with a range consisting of furniture and home furnishings of the highest quality.

Carved furniture on the cultural heritage list

A large number of designers and architects have collaborated with Zanat over the years, including Monica Förster, Ilse Crawford, Sara Helder, and Harri Koskinen.

In 1995, the great-grandchildren of the founders established the vision that the brand works with today. Brothers Orhan and Adem were inspired by their appreciation of modern design and the difference between this and quality craftsmanship. They wanted to show how traditional woodcarving can be used to design modern, exclusive furniture. This led to international recognition. Several products from the range were awarded prizes over the years. The Daisy decorative dining table won the Interior Innovation Award in 2011, and the Ombra table designed by Jasna Mujkic won the same award in 2012. Sustainability is at the heart of the brand’s vision, and Zanat is keen to achieve a neutral carbon footprint. They use sustainable wood, and minimize wood waste in production.

The family-owned brand grew after 1995 thanks to a reorganization that used economic development models to build a brand with modern business, sustainability and social responsibility as the cornerstones. Since 1995, unemployment in Bosnia has been the highest in Europe, and the Niksic brothers wanted to contribute to reconstruction and the application of Bosnian craft traditions. The quality and originality of the pieces make them part of Bosnia’s cultural heritage, and in 2014 Zanat was nominated by its home country to the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Today, Zanat designs and manufactures modern pieces using a unique and traditional technique of woodcarving. Their forefathers’ pieces of furniture are still found in the aristocratic circles of south-central Europe, and the furniture made today can be found all over the world in private homes, as well as in public settings and institutions.