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Crafts / Kondapalli Toys

Kondapalli Toys

State
Andhra Pradesh
Material
Soft wood · Natural paste
Rarity
Rare

A whole village carved in light wood

About

Light, hand-painted wooden toys of Kondapalli, especially the Dasavatara set and scenes of village life.

Kondapalli toys are wooden toys made in Kondapalli, a village near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh (now in NTR district). The part of the village where the toy-makers live is known as Bommala Colony, the toy colony. The toys are made of a very light, soft wood called tella poniki, which grows on the nearby Kondapalli hills.

The toys are made by families of artisans who are known as Aryakshatriyas, or Nakarshalu. Each toy is carved in several parts, and the parts are joined and finished with a paste, then painted in bright colours.

The toys show scenes of mythology and rural life: the Dasavatara set of the ten incarnations of Vishnu, an elephant with a howdah (ambari), palanquin bearers carrying a bride and bridegroom, a toddy tapper, a set of village craftsmen, birds, animals and bullock carts. Many are arranged as part of the festival display called bommala koluvu during Sankranti and Navaratri.

How it’s made

The work starts with the wood. Tella poniki is a soft, light wood from the Kondapalli hills which is easy to carve. The wood is cut into pieces and each part of a toy is carved out separately by hand, so that a figure such as a bullock cart or a toddy tapper is built up from many small pieces.

The pieces are joined and finished with a paste called makku, made from tamarind seed powder and sawdust. The paste works like a glue and a filler: it holds the carved parts together, fills joins and adds small details such as folds and ornaments to the toys.

The toy is then painted. Depending on the type of toy, artisans colour it with oil colours and water colours, or with vegetable dyes, and enamel paints are used on some. The painting adds the faces, clothes and jewellery that make the figures lifelike. The finished toy is light in weight, brightly coloured and individually hand-finished.

Key features

  • Carved from tella poniki, a very light soft wood
  • Each part carved separately and assembled by hand
  • Joined and detailed with makku, a paste of tamarind seed powder and sawdust
  • Painted in bright oil, water or vegetable colours
  • Dasavatara sets, village scenes, animals and bullock carts
  • Made by artisan families in Bommala Colony, Kondapalli
  • Geographical Indication-registered handicraft

History

The craft is said to be about 400 years old. The artisans trace their origins to a sage, Muktharishi, who they say was given skills in arts and crafts by Lord Shiva, and they are mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana. According to their own accounts they came to Kondapalli from Rajasthan in the sixteenth century; this is a community tradition, not a documented migration.

The toys were among the figures that were set up in homes during the festivals of Sankranti and Navaratri, in the display called bommala koluvu, in which dolls and figures are arranged on steps. The craft received the patronage of rulers in earlier times.

Today it is a Geographical Indication-registered handicraft of Andhra Pradesh. The craft has declined because it takes a long time to make each toy, because of limited profits, the influence of mass-produced toys, and fewer young people taking it up. Organisations such as Lepakshi and the Lanco Institute of General Humanitarian Trust have taken steps to keep the craft alive.

Facts

  • Tella poniki A very light wood. Kondapalli toys are made of the soft wood tella poniki, which grows on the nearby Kondapalli hills.
  • Makku A paste of tamarind seed. Carved parts are joined and finished with makku, a paste of tamarind seed powder and sawdust.
  • 400 years An old craft. The craft is said to be about 400 years old, practised by families called Aryakshatriyas or Nakarshalu.
  • Bommala koluvu Part of festival displays. Kondapalli toys were among the dolls arranged in homes during Sankranti and Navaratri in the display called bommala koluvu.

Market

Collectibles and festival toys

Kondapalli toys are sold at the toy colony in Kondapalli, at state handicraft emporia, craft fairs and online, as figures, sets and gift items. The most popular are the Dasavatara sets, elephants with ambari and village-life sets. Mass-produced imitations exist; hand-carved toys have visible tool marks and hand-painted details.

Sustainability

Light local wood and natural paste

The toys use a local soft wood, a natural paste from tamarind seed and sawdust, and in many cases vegetable colours. Using sawdust in the paste puts waste wood to use. The craft's main challenge is to keep a living for the artisan families.

Products

  • Wooden toys: Figures carved from tella poniki, the craft's signature
  • Dasavatara set: The ten incarnations of Vishnu, the best-known Kondapalli set
  • Elephant with ambari: An elephant carrying a decorated howdah
  • Palanquin bearers with bride and bridegroom: A traditional wedding scene
  • Village life sets: Toddy tapper, set of village craftsmen, bullock cart
  • Birds and animals: Parrots, peacocks, cows and other figures

Words to know

  • Tella poniki: A soft, light wood used for Kondapalli toys.
  • Makku: A paste of tamarind seed powder and sawdust used to join and finish the toys.
  • Dasavatara: The ten incarnations of Vishnu, a classic Kondapalli set.
  • Ambari: A decorated howdah on an elephant's back.
  • Bommala koluvu: A festival display of dolls arranged in homes.
  • Bommala Colony: The toy-makers' neighbourhood in Kondapalli.

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