Ma Me Pa - Eco Turtle Toys- 07.15.09
Found these adorable wooden kids pull toys the other day, and the simplicity of the design, and the appeal of the adorable glossy turtles. From Maya Organic Toys in India ~ made from a sustainable wood source and hand crafted with natural dyes, it even has nice simple eco-friendly recyclable packaging! My favorite part are the details like… it looks as if they lacquered the whole sphere, THEN cut the stripes into them… and they spin simply from the friction of the little sphere “legs” rolling along! Check out the video and more close ups on the next page!
Also… Just found this FAQ answering “What are lacware products?”
Lacware is a traditional handicraft from Karnataka, India. It is practiced by artisans in Channapatna, a small town located 60 kms from Bangalore city. With the onslaught of plastic and other synthetic materials, this ecologically friendly craft has seen a steady decline. Lacware refers to wooden articles that are turned on the lathe and finished with lac*. The entire process from shaping the wood to lac application is completed on the lathe itself and hence the products are a combination of circularly symmetric shapes.
The lacware products are mostly crafted out of Hale wood (Wrightia Tinctoria). Hale wood is close grained, moderately hard and is best suited for turning and lac application. The wood does not require any chemical treatment. It is seasoned and used directly. The wood is shaped by turning it on a lathe. Initially there were only manually-operated lathes but now power lathes have been introduced.
The Ma Me Pa and other Maya Organic toys can be found at www.dandelionbaby.com!
----- Jill 07.03.13 11:40