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Crafts / Channapatna Toys

Channapatna Toys

State
Karnataka
Material
Wood · Lac
Rarity
Popular

Toys turned, coloured and polished in one spin

About

Round, glossy, brightly coloured wooden toys from the toy town of Channapatna, coloured with lac while the wood spins on a lathe.

Channapatna toys are wooden toys and dolls made in the town of Channapatna in Ramanagara district of Karnataka, which is known locally as Gombegala Ooru, the toy town. The wood is turned on a lathe and then coated with coloured lac, a natural resin, which gives the toys their smooth, glossy and bright finish.

The toys are made by families in home workshops and in some small units. Traditionally the wood was the pale, soft Wrightia tinctoria tree, called aale mara or ivory-wood; today other woods such as rubber wood, pine and teak are also used.

The usual products are rattles, tops, stacking and spinning toys, dolls, beads and small figures, along with household items such as boxes and pen stands. The colours are made from vegetable dyes, which is why the toys are considered safe for children.

How it’s made

The wood is first selected, cut and seasoned (dried), so that it does not crack. It is then cut into pieces and roughly shaped. The main shaping is turning: the wood is spun on a lathe and the craftsman holds a hand tool against it to cut smooth round shapes, grooves and rings. Many Channapatna toys are made from combinations of turned parts, which gives them their rounded look.

The lac is applied while the toy is still spinning. Lac is a natural resin that is made into sticks coloured with pigment. The craftsman presses the stick against the spinning wood; the heat from the friction softens the lac and spreads it as a thin, even coat. Bands and layers of different colours can be added in turn.

The finished piece is polished until it has a smooth, glossy shine. Because all the colours are applied by rotating the wood, Channapatna toys tend to be round and rotationally symmetrical, with bands and rings of colour.

Key features

  • Wood turned on a lathe into rounded shapes
  • Coloured lac pressed on the spinning wood, melted by friction
  • Traditional wood is ivory-wood (Wrightia tinctoria); other woods now used
  • Vegetable dyes make the colours child-safe
  • Bands, rings and bright, glossy colours
  • Made in home workshops and small units in Channapatna
  • Geographical Indication protected

History

Toy-making in Channapatna is old: wooden toys are said to have been made there before the eighteenth century and given as gifts at the Dasara festival. The craft is often linked to the patronage of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore, who admired woodwork and is credited with giving it a push.

In the early twentieth century a local craftsman, Bavas Miyan, is said to have learnt lacquerware techniques from Japan, with the support of the Maharaja of Mysore, and trained others on his return. For about two centuries the wood used was almost always ivory-wood.

Later the craft went through a financial crisis for lack of marketing and of new designs. The Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation and the state government supported its revival with training and a lacquerware craft complex with turning machines, and today designers and social enterprises also work with the artisans. Channapatna toys are protected as a Geographical Indication.

Facts

  • Toy town Gombegala Ooru. Channapatna is known as Gombegala Ooru, the toy town of Karnataka, because of its toy-making families.
  • Ivory-wood A soft pale wood. For about two centuries the wood used was ivory-wood (Wrightia tinctoria), locally called aale mara. Other woods such as rubber, pine and teak are used now.
  • Friction lac Colour by friction. A stick of coloured lac is pressed against the spinning wood. The friction heats and spreads the lac in a thin coat.
  • GI protected Geographical Indication. Channapatna toys are protected as a Geographical Indication, so only toys made in the region can carry the name.

Market

Toys, gifts and home decor

Channapatna toys are sold in craft emporia, shops and online as toys, rattles, dolls, puzzles, kitchen sets and decor items. Prices depend on the wood, finish and detail. Cheaper pieces may be painted with synthetic paint rather than lac; look for a smooth, warm-feeling lac finish with a mild natural smell.

Sustainability

Natural lac and long-lasting toys

The lac is a natural resin and the colours are plant dyes, so the toys are non-toxic, and the wood can be locally sourced. Choosing toys made of certified or plantation wood and finished with lac keeps the craft low-impact and the toys last for years.

Products

  • Rattles and spinning tops: The classic turned toys for young children
  • Stacking and ring toys: Sets of coloured turned rings and pegs
  • Dolls and animal figures: Rounded figures with painted details
  • Beads and necklaces: Turned wooden beads in lac colours
  • Boxes and pen stands: Small household items

Words to know

  • Lac: A natural resin used as the colouring coat on the toys.
  • Aale mara: Ivory-wood, the traditional pale wood used for Channapatna toys.
  • Lathe: The machine that spins the wood so it can be turned into round shapes.
  • Turning: Shaping wood by spinning it against a cutting tool.
  • Gombegala Ooru: Kannada for 'toy town', a name for Channapatna.

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