Find content
OPTIONAL - Only in:
OR search by:
Questions, Answers and VOD
For content providers

Traditional Manufacturing of Children Wooden Toys


Language: English

Villagers along the pilgrimage route to the Marian shrine of Our Lady of the Snow in Marija Bistrica in Hrvatsko Zagorje in northern Croatia developed a technique for traditional manufacturing of children's wooden toys that has now been handed down for generations. The men in a family take soft willow, lime, beech and maple wood from the region and dry, hew, cut and carve it using traditional tools; the women then apply ecologically-friendly paint in improvisational floral or geometric patterns, painting 'from imagination'. The whistles, horses, cars, tiny furniture, spinning dancers, jumping horses and flapping birds produced today are almost identical to those made more than a century ago - though no two toys are precisely the same, thanks to the handcrafted production process. Popular among both locals and tourists, these toys are sold in fairs, markets and specialty shops around the world. They have also evolved with the times and, 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. Tiny toy instruments, carefully tuned as they are created, still serve as important components in the musical education of rural children.


on this subject: Nomination file/Dossier de candidature


Topics and Tags
Place/region: Croatia, Europe
Series: Inscriptions on the Intangible Heritage Lists
Type: Documentary
Duration:
Production and personalities:
Publisher: Croatia. Ministry of Culture
Published in:
Rights: AVNT Zagreb; UNESCO
 

   LICENSING: for inquiries about licensing this material, please contact the rights holder or the authors directly. You may also wish to consult our FAQs 4 to 7

Original: DVD
Location: EV only
UMVS reference: AVFONDS-CLTITH-2009-0023300016
Source ref.: DOC:00722-EN, CAND:00233
Rights holder: AVNT Zagreb