Toys and Dolls of India
A roll-call of present day toys and dolls of India would present an endless variety in their style and techniques of creation. Themes for Indian dolls include popular characters from Indian epics and folklore, people of different professions, realistic prototypes of birds, characters from social life, and the like.
K.L. Kamat/Kamat's Potpourri
Handicrafts from Sondur
Durga-murga Toy -- the man punishes self with a whip, as the woman plays drums.
Unlike the toys of the west, Indian toys are rarely mechanical and are mostly representations of life. However, like those in the west, they are also designed to stimulate the vibrant fancies of growing minds. With brilliant hues and beautiful dresses, they are made of light wood, baked clay or cloth. The wooden toys of Banaras, the clay toys of Kondapalli, the cloth dolls of Pune and Bihar, the stuffed animal toys of Madhya Pradesh, the terra-cotta horse figures of West Bengal, the clay and pith dolls of Krishna Nagar, and the lacquered toys of Channapattana in Karnataka are a few among the wide range of wooden articles handcrafted in India.
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