VADODARA: When the pandemic hit the city once again in March, he had no choice but to remain confined within the four walls of his house, but Chandrashekhar Patil Instead of going into lethargy, he saw an opportunity to develop himself in a forced ‘self-lockdown’.
Amidst the flurry of modern-day plastic toys, Patil decided to revive the magic of ancient eco-friendly toys and the toymaker picked up wasteful pieces of wood which he added, carved and painted with new life.
“It’s been a while since I was considering making wooden toys that were once a regular in every household. When Covid cases started peaking in March, we all decided to stay at home. It was then that I decided to make toys out of used pieces of wood. This way, I could hone my toy making skills and make good use of the free time too,” said the city-based art curator.
Patil started making toys of every shape and size. “Most wooden toys used to be of animals and birds. So, I made toys similar to animals like giraffes, rats, cows, buffaloes and rabbits. Apart from this, my collection also includes cars and other vehicles like bullock carts with wheels,” he said.
The 46-year-old toymaker has made around 350 such wooden toys and painted them all within two months.
Patil has a collection of about 9,500 toys dating from the Harappan civilization Gupta period, Mughal and then Maratha Governance. “I had studied the science and technology of toys from every era and learned how they changed over the centuries. This came in handy while making these wooden toys,” Patil told TOI.
“The ancient toys were not only for fun but they also gave the children a basic lesson in tantra. Like toys with wheels or rope, which when pulled become the bob of the tail or neck of the animal. Puzzle toys enhance the thinking skills of children,” he said.
“My aim was to make eco-friendly toys that do not harm the environment along with the kids. I plan to showcase these toys in the coming months and encourage parents to have eco-friendly toys for their kids.”
Amidst the flurry of modern-day plastic toys, Patil decided to revive the magic of ancient eco-friendly toys and the toymaker picked up wasteful pieces of wood which he added, carved and painted with new life.
“It’s been a while since I was considering making wooden toys that were once a regular in every household. When Covid cases started peaking in March, we all decided to stay at home. It was then that I decided to make toys out of used pieces of wood. This way, I could hone my toy making skills and make good use of the free time too,” said the city-based art curator.
Patil started making toys of every shape and size. “Most wooden toys used to be of animals and birds. So, I made toys similar to animals like giraffes, rats, cows, buffaloes and rabbits. Apart from this, my collection also includes cars and other vehicles like bullock carts with wheels,” he said.
The 46-year-old toymaker has made around 350 such wooden toys and painted them all within two months.
Patil has a collection of about 9,500 toys dating from the Harappan civilization Gupta period, Mughal and then Maratha Governance. “I had studied the science and technology of toys from every era and learned how they changed over the centuries. This came in handy while making these wooden toys,” Patil told TOI.
“The ancient toys were not only for fun but they also gave the children a basic lesson in tantra. Like toys with wheels or rope, which when pulled become the bob of the tail or neck of the animal. Puzzle toys enhance the thinking skills of children,” he said.
“My aim was to make eco-friendly toys that do not harm the environment along with the kids. I plan to showcase these toys in the coming months and encourage parents to have eco-friendly toys for their kids.”
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