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WoodworkGI Tagged · 2004-05
Channapatna Toys
TownChannapatna
StateKarnataka
Craft typeWoodwork
GI tag2004-05
About
Brightly lacquered wooden toys and dolls turned on a traditional lathe from ivory-wood (Wrightia tinctoria), a craft introduced to the town under the patronage of Tipu Sultan, who brought Persian artisans to train local craftsmen.
Did you know? Channapatna toys are traditionally coloured using vegetable and lac-based dyes rather than synthetic paint, and are turned on manually operated lathes by artisans capable of shaping intricate, safe-for-children forms entirely by hand and eye.