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Puppets, Toys and Dolls

In India, toys and dolls have a history as old as the icons and idols themselves. Andhra Pradesh has a number of toy forms. Leather puppets, Kondapalli dolls, Tirupati dolls, Nirmal toys and Etikoppaka dolls.

Leather dolls from the central part of the shadow puppetry or Chaya Natak. The best known of course being the Tholu Bommalatta of Andhra Pradesh. The dolls are made of goat-skin which after being cured and dried, is made transluscent by a special process. The figures are beautifully painted with vegetable dyes.

Kondapalli toys are absolutely light-weight and come from Kondapalli, a little village near Vijayawada. The style is warm and realistic with the faces of the toys being highly expressive. The themes are centred around village and village life.

Nirmal toys are yet another interesting expression of the famous Nirmal work. Animals and birds abound.