Design Resource
Traditional Toys of Kondapalli
The Craft of Wooden Toys
by
J. N. Somya
Cutting, Carving, Filing and Joining
The dried wood is then cut into pieces according to the desired size of the toy to be made, by using an axe. Then bahudara is used to carve the desired shape of the toy. It is a tool used to carve the softwood to get the desired shape. This tool is unique in the production of Kondapalli Bommalu. The Kondapalli toys at all stages of carving are subjected to a slow process of heating on a wireframe to evaporate the moisture. The carved softwood is then filed using aakrai to give it a better shape and smooth finish.
Other body parts (hands, pots, musical instruments, etc.) are carved and heated separately before being joined to the main sculpted body by using a locally prepared adhesive called temma jiguru (acacia gum). It is the gum used for glueing, prepared as per traditional methods. Now fevicol is also being used to reduce costs. Thus the outer look of the toy is prepared.
