Finger Top-Papaya Shape-Channapatna

Details

Delight your little ones with this astonishing spin-top game from goroots. Finger Top-Papaya Shape-Channapatna carries the goodness of the traditional way of handcrafting toys and games with a single softwood. This vintage fruit-themed top (Lattu) carries great significance for it has been hand-turned and hand-painted by the skilled Channapatna artists who master the art of toy-making. This papaya-shaped finger top will spin the way you want it to. Just place it on the ground and spin it with quite a force for it to keep turning and creating a delightful illusion. For children, it is one of the amazing sights to witness for the peculiar shape and colour of the top. It is crafted from the ivory wood and painted on with natural colours that do not use any chemicals or acids. This toy is completely safe for children, even if they accidentally happen to put this in their mouth.
 
About Channapatna Art
 
The wooden toys manufactured in the Channapatna or the toy-town of Karnataka are popularly known as Channapatna toys. It is a proper particular form of art practised in the southern state and is been preserved as a geographical indication (GI) under the norms of the World Trade Organization. A typical type of wood from the Wrightia Tinctoria tree, also known as Aale Mara or ivory wood, is used in the making of the Channapatna toys. This wood is light in weight and closely grained so that it is easy to work with. It is easy to cut, process and finish and the artisans can find the wood in abundance as the tree is abundantly found in the geographical area.

Right from procuring the wood to its pruning, seasoning and colouring, the expert Channapatna craftsmen use handicraft skills that are pure, crude and raw. Final polishing of the product and the dyeing is done using naturally found colours or vegetable dyes based on the likes and preferences of the artisans. The Channapatna toy industry is in great demand today. Although, a decade ago it faced an intense competition from the Chinese market, Channapatna toy industry is now back on its feet and enjoying great reception worldwide. Most of the products are exported to USA, UK and Europe.