Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Multi-hued The colourful toys at the exhibition

Traditional art lovers in the city never had it any better. Kondapalli toys elegantly carved out of white soft wood, Kalamkari paintings with its colourful depiction of mythological subjects, washable Nirmal paintings with their golden hues, Banjara embroidery, Hyderabad’s traditional Bidri craft, Dhokra work from Orissa, wooden carvings from Jaipur - all under one roof. All these are on display at the Lepakshi Handicrafts Emporium at Hasthakala Bhavan, Musheerabad.

Art lovers couldn’t have asked for more. Says one foreign visitor, “Lepakshi is a must visit for any genuine lover of art. The wooden carvings, the metal statues, the Kalamkari paintings… these are, I think the finest works of craftsmanship. My pick would be the wood carved Saraswathi.”

The season special though is the toy collection from Kondapalli and Etikoppaka villages. The handicrafts emporium is holding a special exhibition up to January 13, to promote artisans from Kondapalli and Etikoppaka villages to mark this Sankranti. Kondapalli toys are some of the finest pieces of hand-made wooden artefacts. Made from special white soft wood called Puniki wood, these are light weight and painted with vegetable paints. “Water and oil colours are also used, but vegetable dyes are the latest attraction,” says Durga Prasad, an artisan from Kondapalli. Different parts of the image depicted are carved separately and then glued together with an adhesive made of tamarind seeds, he explains. The painting is done with soft, thin paintbrushes made out of goat’s hair.

The collection includes a rich variety of toys depicting mythological characters, deities and scenes from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Other toys include depictions of rural life, animals, birds and also characters from rural folklore. “The most popular items are the Kondapalli toy soldiers, pen stand, Dasavataram set and the Ambari elephants. Nowadays, the key chains with wooden toys, wall hangings are also selling in good numbers,” says Sambasiva Rao another artisan.

The mythological collection includes depictions of scenes like Radha- Krishna in Vrindavan, Lord Sri Rama’s journey with brother Lakshmana, wife Sita and Hanuman on a boat, Dasavatharas, dancing Ganesha, Krishna and Arjuna on the ratha and various other deities. The Etikoppaka toys are an attractive alternative for kids. They include toys of birds and animals. There are also utility items like candle stands, agarbathi holders, vermilion boxes, pen stands, bangle stands and curved hair pins. With their enchanting design and earthly appeal, they make good showcase items. And what’s more, they are painted with eco-friendly vegetable dyes.

Other attractions are the centuries old Nirmal art paintings and toys, Pembarthy sheet metal art, Nimmalkunta leather lamp shades and puppets and Kalamkari block prints.

TOMIN PAUL

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail