Wooden Toys of Bihar

The wooden toys of the state of Bihar are characterised by their abstract folk style similar to the figures belonging to the Mauryan period. They are made from the wood of ambda, semal and gamda trees. The toys are skillfully painted and finished.

They are sliced and carved from a single plank of wood to get a three-dimensional effect. The piece of wood is cut and shaped using batali/chisel, ari/saw, hammer, drill, mallet and rukhani chimta/ small tweezer. The finishing is done with a reti/file to bring out the curves while carving. The toys are then painted with paints and colourful pigments. The colours are bright and vivid and similar to those of Madhubani style.

The iconography is of heroes and celebrities riding horses or elephants and other activities. Various toys such as animals, birds, raja-rani/king and queen, band set, mother-child and rath/ chariot are also crafted.