Etikoppaka is a small village on the banks of the Varaha River at a distance of 64 km away from the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. The village is very famous for its toys made of wood. Etikoppala has been famous across the world for its lacquer toys, which have a long chequered history. The toymakers received patronage from the affluent landlords of the region back then, to make toys for their children.
History of Etikoppaka Toys
Two Hundred years ago a newlywed bride on this coast used to store her vermilion and turmeric in freshly procured, little artful containers of soft Anduku wood that were trademarks of a little hamlet called Etikoppaka.
The toys are made of ANKUDI wood(native Ankudi tree of that region) and after the desired shape is achieved, they are colored with natural dyes derived from seeds, lacquer, bark roots, and leaves.
Themes of the toys
Shehnai troops, canons, automobiles, birds, and religious figures.
Process of the making of ETIKOPAKKA TOYS
Much softer wood is used for manufacturing and the art of toy making is also known as turned wood lacquer craft.
Lac- either Rangeem or Kusumi variety, natural dye pencils, the lathe machine, badithi axe, and the five types of chisels known as Vuli are required.
ETIKOPAKKA TOYS got GI tagging in 2017
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