How to Make a Channapatna Toy
Channapatna toys are made from soft ivory wood or hale mara and then coated with lacquer which is made from vegetable dyes. These dyes are used in the colouring process to ensure that the toys and dolls are non-toxic and safe for use by children. The real charm of Channapatna is that the craft is not practiced in large-scale industries and factories, but within the confines of small homes and workshops which extend to villages nearby.
Each piece is done by hand with just a few tools or the lathe to assist the artisan. Some still continue working with a hand-operated lathe but since the advent of better electricity services, most have turned to using the mechanical lathe before applying the lacquer and going through other finishing processes by hand.
The process starts with procuring of hale wood or ivory wood from local wood suppliers. It is seasoned for 1-3 months depending on the size of the planks. Though the government supplier sells seasoned wood, artisans at times prefer to buy the wood locally and season it at home. Wooden logs lie plentifully by the roadside indicating the regular demand for wood by artisans of the town.
The woodcutter cuts blocks to size depending on the nature of the item. These are stored with him or the craftsperson for future use. And Wooden shavings and dust fly about, coating the room, as the woodworkers cut the wood to required sizes for Channapatna’s toy makers.
A Channapatna craftsman cutting a block of wood into even smaller pieces.
Colour making process: Chips of lac, a natural resin acquired from forests, are bought locally to make the colour with which the wooden pieces are coated.
First, a coal fire is lit in a small bowl for the lac chips to be heated. The lac chips are stuck to the end of a wooden stick and held over the fire to melt to the required consistency. Natural coloured dyes are used to tint the lac. Sometimes, turmeric is used for the colour yellow, indigo powder for blue, and deep red cosmetic powder, locally known as kum kum, for orange and red. The process of preparing the resin needs dexterity, which comes from the transferred experience of generations of artisans practicing wood craft in Channapatna.
Lac sticks in a variety of hues are kept ready to use to colour the surface of Channapatna wooden toys.
Once the wood is turned into its desired shape, the lacquer stick is held against the wooden piece while it is still on the lathe. The lac melts with the heat produced by friction and transfers the colour to the surface of the wood. In the image on the left, the knob at the end of the wooden stick is being coloured with red lac, while being turned on the lathe.
Some delightful pieces made in Channapatna
The non-electrically operated lathe is used by women artisans to make small items like beads, which they then fashion into keyrings, chignon pins, earrings and necklaces.
The non-electrically operated lathe is used by women artisans to make small items like beads, which they then fashion into keyrings, chignon pins, earrings and necklaces.
A few wooden beads are all that is needed to make costume jewellery for young girls.
Finally, the artisans use small sharp tools to hand engrave decorative elements on to the surface of lacquered toys.
Some artisans in Channapatna, particularly women, still work with hand and foot operated lathes to make smaller items.
Finally, the artisans use small sharp tools to hand engrave decorative elements on to the surface of lacquered toys.
Some artisans in Channapatna, particularly women, still work with hand and foot operated lathes to make smaller items.