Wooden Toys – Republic of Croatia

On the occasion of the World Children’s Day (20 November), let’s take a look at how children's wooden toys are made.

In 2009, the Traditional Manufacturing of Children’s Wooden Toys in Hrvatsko Zagorje was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The villagers along the pilgrimage route to the Marian shrine of Our Lady of the Snow in Marija Bistrica, located in the region of Hrvatsko Zagorje in northern Croatia, have developed a traditional technique for manufacturing children’s wooden toys, which has been passed down through the generations.

The men of the family collect soft willow, lime, beech and maple wood from the region and then dry, hew, cut and carve it using traditional tools. The women then apply environmentally-friendly paint in improvised floral or geometric patterns, painting “from imagination”.

The whistles, horses, cars, miniature furniture, spinning dancers, jumping horses and flapping birds produced today are almost identical to those made over a century ago, although each toy is unique thanks to the handcrafted production process.

These toys are popular with both locals and tourists, and are sold at parish fairs, markets and specialty shops worldwide. In addition to the traditional shapes such as horses and carts, new ones representing cars, trucks, airplanes and trains have appeared, reflecting the world surrounding modern-day children. This evolution with the times is a natural development for such products.

Tiny toy musical instruments, which are carefully tuned during their creation, continue to play an important role in the musical education of rural children.

BONUS!

Dive into the world of children's wooden toys making through this video.

Sources and photographs taken from: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/traditional-manufacturing-of-children-s-wooden-toys-in-hrvatsko-zagorje-00233

Photographs No 1 and No 2: Children's wooden toys, Laz Stubicki, Tugonica, Marija Bistrica │ Vidoslav Barac © 2008 by Ministry of Culture

Photograph No 3: Toy painting, Katarina Mikus, Laz Stubicki │ Iris Biskupic Basic © 2008 by Ministry of Culture

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