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Vizag for centuries is known for its intricate handcrafted items. Be it Wooden furniture of 18th Century or Ivory Inlay work of 19th Century or
shiney brassware of the recent times Vizag what ever it produced have charmed the world over. Etikoppaka toys Vizag's exclusive hand craft item made of soft wood covered with laqur and eco friendly dyes have acclaimed the popularity for innovativeness and practicality.
You often see the handcrafted items solf for premium in
christies and similar auction houses even till today. |
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Etikoppaka Toys |
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Etikoppaka, a small
town in Vizag reminds one of childhood days, of vivid,
sparkling wooden toys and colorful objects that were the
source of endless joy.
This village in Vizag has
an age-old tradition of toy making. The toys are usually
made of wood. The wood is soft and has a fine grain.
Women and children pick it up from nearby hills and
leave it to dry in the courtyards. The workplace and
tools are primitive. It is a wonder that with these
primitive tools, objects of such skill originate here.
In 1906, Sri C.V.Padmanabha Raju, a landlord of
Etikoppaka, brought colored lac from Chennai. The local
villagers made toys using the soft lightwood and colored
lac.
Lacquering is done on a lathe, hand or
machine operated. For making slender and delicate items,
the hand lathe is considered suitable. Dry lac is
pressed against the item to be lacquered and then
exposed to heat. The wooden base is continually rotated
for uniform application. It speaks of the skill of the
craftsman as he uses different colors and yet manages to
get uniform shine on them.
Etikoppaka toys have
become very popular in India and abroad. As the toys are
exported also, vegetable dyes are used in coloring
instead of lead based dyes. Vegetable dyes are brought
from Madhya Pradesh in powdered form. A thick decoction
of color is mixed with hot lac and sticks are made
similar to those with synthetic dyes.
In making
new designs, Etikoppaka artisans are helped by the
School of Fine Arts, Andhra University, National
Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and M.S.University,
Baroda besides individual designers. |
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Makavarapalem Brassware |
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