Strawberry Shaped Spin Top (Lattu)

Details

The Strawberry Shaped Spin Top (Lattu) is a classic wooden toy handcrafted by the Channapatna artisans of Karnataka. The vintage set of tops have been given a facelift with this unique strawberry shape and vibrant colours for your child to enjoy the game as it spins around creating an optical illusion. It is good for girls as well as boys and anyone who have already mastered the art of spinning tops can play with this flawlessly.This playful top uses the special ivory wood for its making and it has been dyed with vegetable colours and naturally found dyes. And hence, this top is non-toxic and eco-friendly suitable for kids as well as infants. The spintop games are widely known for their enjoyment factor, though they are also best regarded for building qualities such as confidence, concentration, skills and techniques. 

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.