Wooden Painted Toys locally known as Kondapally toys are world-famous for their special wood that adds a touch of aesthetics to drawing rooms with their finely created figurines. These toys have carved a niche of their own in the world of handicrafts. Nimble fingered artisans carve with aplomb, as characters emerge and evolve from light soft wood. The wooden piece is heated to make it moisture-free. Different parts of the image are carved separately. They are then glued together with an adhesive made of crushed tamarind seeds. Both water and oil colours are used to paint the toy or figurine. Painting is done with soft and thin paint brushes made of goat's hair. The toys depict scenes from actual life, animals, rural folks, deities and characters from the epics. Kondapally soldiers, pen stand, Dasavatara set and the Ambari elephants are among the famous items produced by the artisans here.
Kondapalli, Andhra pradesh
