Folk toy is an important ethnic element and monument traditional culture Russian people. It is a synthetic form folk art, which combines arts and crafts and visual arts, musical elements. A toy is also a traditional element of child rearing. Children learn about the world and socialize in society through play. Traditional folk toys vary in type, material and manufacturing method. In addition, there is a relationship between folk toys and different types economic activities of people, tools and religious beliefs. The folk toy was an important element in the socialization and upbringing of children.

Russian folk toys are attractive for their ambiguity, depth, symbolism of the image, decorativeness, brevity, sense of the material and its natural properties, traditional technological techniques, conventionality of images and much more.

Folk toys depict people, fauna: birds, deer and elk, bears, horses, goats and other animals.

Russian traditional toys are made mainly from clay, wood, straw, and birch bark.

Russian folk toys have different symbols. For example, a toy in the shape of the sun, a rocking horse, or a swing is a symbol of well-being. A toy in the shape of an egg and a rooster - a symbol of Heaven. Deer symbolizes sunlight, peace on earth and happy marriage. The bear is a symbol of strength and wealth.

Russian folk toy made of clay

Over the centuries, residents of a certain region have created and passed on from generation to generation original traditions of making folk toys, which were unique, original and combined the national characteristics of a certain region of Russia. By external features Russian folk toy, one could understand in which particular area it was made. As mentioned above, toys were mainly made from two materials: clay (Abashevskaya, Dymkovskaya, Kargopolskaya, Pleshkovskaya and Filimonovskaya toys) and wood (Bogorodskaya Mazykskaya toy, matryoshka, bird of happiness).

Abashevo Russian folk toy is made of clay. Its name comes from the village of Abashevo, Penza province. In the XIX-XX centuries. The best pottery masters lived in the village of Abashevo, whose works were valued throughout Russia. In the Penza province in the village of Abashevo there were rich deposits of clay, which was originally used for making beautiful dishes. For the first time, Abashev toys began to be made in mid-19th century for children's games. But after a while, the toys began to be given a satirical character, with the aim of ridiculing liars and those who profit from their neighbors.

The peak of development of the Abashevo toy came in the 20th century, when many craftsmen in making dishes from clay could no longer compete with factories and factories. It was during this period that most craftsmen began making whistles, which aroused genuine interest and even delight among children. One of the famous masters of that period was Timofey Zotkin. His works had a significant influence on subsequent generations.

The subjects of Abashev's toys are varied, among the main ones are animals and birds, main feature which have an overly long body with a neck and short legs. Animals were often depicted with lush curls and beards. Mostly they sculpted rams, deer, and goats. In appearance they resemble fantastic centaurs, which are characterized by some satire.

Abashevo's toy is designed to ridicule human vices, especially love of money and deception. That is why, along with unusual animal figures, you can see an elegant young lady, a dashing horseman and a prince in the form of a ram with a human face.

When making a toy, the master uses clay and several stacks, with the help of which he forms a figurine, makes holes and patterns. Afterwards the product is fired and painted. To paint the Abashevo toy, craftsmen used oil and enamel paints, which ensured the durability and richness of the designs. The theme of the painting is, first of all, nature and the world, not devoid of symbolism. The Abashevo toy is dominated by red, green and blue colors.

The Dymkovo Russian folk toy, which is also made from clay, is widely known to this day. The Dymkovo toy has been made for centuries. Such a toy was made in the settlement of Dymkovo, located near the city of Kirov. Craftsmen worked in the Dymkovo settlement alone and in families. TO early XIX centuries, toys from Dymkovo spread throughout Russia.

In those days, more than 100 thousand toys were produced per year, which went on sale, including in the capital and in the Orenburg province. 59 families from Dymkovo worked on their creation. The most famous masters were Koshkins And Nikulins. At the beginning of the 20th century, Dymkovo toys lost their former popularity, although already in the 1930s the Dymkovo craft began to revive in Kirov.

The Dymkovo toy is traditionally made in the form of a lady, horsemen, hussars, fantastic birds and animals, and there are also multi-figure plot compositions.

The process of making a Dymkovo toy consists of two stages: sculpting the product and painting it. There are traditions in creating the shape of a toy and in its design, which are expressed primarily in staticity, splendor of forms and brightness of painting. For example, in the composition “Mother with Children” the figure of a woman looks straight ahead, she seems to have frozen in this position. The same static quality is present in toys depicting birds and animals.

The following images of Dymkovo toys are especially popular::

The turkey is as colorful as a peacock.
The lady is both an elegant city person and a traditional peasant woman in a kokoshnik. Children can be depicted next to her.
Lamb - figurines of this animal can have horns of different sizes. Note that they are always gold plated. Lambs are depicted as ordinary or in elegant clothes.
The horse is traditionally in bright blue colors.
Men in Dymkovo toys are most often depicted as a rider on a horse, a walking city or village gentleman.
Pigs, birds, bells. They are depicted in different variations and tones.

To make the Dymkovo toy, Vyatka red clay and river sand are used. Each part of the toy is created separately: a body is molded from a round piece of clay, onto which the remaining parts of the toy are attached. Next, the product is dried in the open air for several days. Then it is burned on fire. In Rus' they used a stove for this. Today it is a muffle furnace, where the temperature reaches 1000 °C. When the figurine cools, it is bleached. In Rus', milk was also used for this.

The next stage is coloring. In ancient times, natural dyes based on eggs, milk, soot, vinegar, and tempera were used for this. These days, acrylic paints are most often used. Bird tails, animal horns, and people's clothing are covered with copper leaf (thin foil). Dymkovo toys are characterized by the use of red, blue, yellow, emerald, light blue, green and orange. White and black paint are used in small quantities. Each color with which the toy is painted has its own meaning: white is a symbol of purity; black - lies; green - nature; red - strength, health; blue - sky.

The patterns used in painting Dymkovo toys are closely related to folk beliefs and symbols of nature. For example, the sun and moon are a symbol of the origin of life; diamonds are a sign of fertility; waves are a sign of sky and moisture. The final stage of painting is the application of gold leaf.

Currently, the Dymkovo toy is developing, new technologies are emerging, fresh ideas are appearing, but the manufacturing traditions remain unchanged.

The clay Kargopol toy is known throughout Russia and abroad. The name of the product comes from ancient city Kargopol, Arkhangelsk province, which in ancient times was one of the centers of the Old Believers. It is known that the residents of this city and its environs have long been engaged in pottery and making traditional toys.

Compared to the brightly colored Dymkovo and Filimonov toys, the Kargopol toy is harsh in appearance. It is characterized by a multi-figure composition (merry troikas with riders in sleighs, dancing figures, boat rides, fairy-tale scenes, etc.). All figures are slightly squat, with short arms and legs, they have an elongated body, a thick and short neck and a relatively large head. It is interesting that the animals are depicted with thick paws.

The Kargopol toy has a village theme. The heroes of local craftsmen are ordinary Russian people working in the fields, plowmen and sowers who rest during lunch, women who wash clothes and nurse children. Often, masters created not only existing, but also fictional animals. For example, half-horse, half-man, who is depicted in military uniform with orders; a two-headed horse or the Sirin bird.

Kargopol craftsmen humanized real animals, that is, they painted clothes, household items, and musical instruments for them. They depicted bears, moose, rams, horses, cats, dogs, birds.

Women were depicted in long sundresses, their hair was braided, beads were painted on their necks, and a bundle with a baby or a dish of food was placed in their hands. The man was always depicted with a thick beard, wearing a painted shirt, loose trousers and high boots with low heels. A cap or hat is on your head to protect you from the sun.

Each toy has its own symbolism, hidden meaning. The woman is a symbol of the Earth, fertility, and nurse. A bear is a symbol of the owner of the forest, a deer or ram is a symbol of the sky and the sun.

The Kargopol toy was made from a single piece of clay, sometimes additional elements were added. After firing, the figurine was placed in a thick flour solution. Thanks to the burnt flour, bizarre dark patterns appeared on the surface, which were later covered with paints. This technology gave the figure relief and volume. The most popular colors for painting were red, green, yellow and blue.

The toy was always decorated with a pattern: in images of people it was an ornament on clothing, and animals were decorated with horns or limbs. The pattern was simple and uncomplicated: wavy lines, geometric figures and flowers. In addition, images on the toy of the sun, sky, moon, fire, earth and water served as a pattern.

Toys from Pleshkovo are molded from a mixture of clay and mica. After firing the toy, mica inclusions give the product an additional silvery shine and sparkles over the entire surface. Burnt whistles have a porous structure and a pink tint. Craftsmen paint the clay in a free manner and distribute natural paint in spots. Initially, no paint was used at all in the manufacture of Pleshkovo toys, but more modern craftsmen grind bricks to completely cover the whistle and mix it with burdock or hemp extract. Previously, it was enough to find the required amount of local golden clay and draw 2-3 stripes along the figure.

The name of the toy comes from the village of Pleshkovo, Oryol province. The toys are simple and concise. The main colors of the Pleshkovo toy: blue, red, green. When painting the product, natural dyes were used - elderberry and burdock juice, which were applied to the surface of the figure in the form of spots. The subjects of Pleshkovo toys are different: animals (horses, rams, cows, deer, roosters), birds (ducks), people (soldiers, ladies), fantastic creatures (mermaids, birds - sirins).

The theme of peasant life was also widespread. For example, a very popular image for a clay figurine is a woman with a baby on her left arm. Among the livestock, cows, roosters, rams, and horses were most often depicted.

Nowadays, Pleshkovo bells and whistles are created using traditional technology and ancient Russian mythical symbols, for example, mermaids.

Filimonovskaya Russian folk toy

Filimonovskaya Russian folk toy also belongs to clay. The toy was made in the village of Filimonovo, Odoevsky district, Tula province. This village is located near deposits of good white clay. According to legend, a certain old man lived in this area Philemon who made toys. The Filimonovskaya traditional toy is made in the form of a lady, a peasant woman, a soldier, dancing couple, as well as in the form of animals, such as cows, rams, foxes, roosters and fantastic forest creatures.

By the middle of the 19th century, the Filimonov fishery became widely known outside the Tula province. The Russian people loved bright, original clay figurines, bought them at fairs and gave them to children. At this time, almost all residents of the village of Filimonovo lived from pottery production. But at the beginning of the twentieth century, the fishery lost its former popularity. People began to look for new ways to earn money, craftsmen began to lose their skills, therefore, the number of masters and craftswomen decreased significantly. Three women lived in the village who did not lose the art of modeling and continued to make toys. Production more or less improved in the 1950s, when interest in Filimonov toys began to revive among the people. In the 1980s, the Filimonov toy regained its former popularity and reached new heights, thanks to creative group, consisting of graduates of the artistic and industrial lyceum.

Most Filimonov toys are used as whistles. There are also local features of the toy image. For example, a lady is always molded into long skirt, in the shape of a bell, with a hat on his head. The man is depicted in a uniform with shoulder straps, a cap with a visor and boots with a small heel. Animals are depicted with thin waist and a long graceful neck. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish animals from each other, and only the color of the figure or certain features helps with this. The horse is sculpted with medium-sized brown ears, the ram with round horns, and the cow with a crescent-shaped horn.

In general, the Filimonov toy differs from others in its elongated shape and elongated proportions. This is dictated by the characteristics of the area, since in Tula region rich deposits of oily clay, it is well suited for shaping, but when dried it settles significantly and cracks. Craftsmen repeatedly straighten the figure, stretching it, thereby hiding uneven contours and cracks.

The Filimonov toy is sparsely painted. The colors used are mainly yellow, red and green, and sometimes blue and violet. However, painting occurs in a certain order: initially they write yellow spots, then outline them in red, or draw patterns, and then complete them green. They start painting with patterns from the center, using a smooth transition to the edges of the product. It should be noted that the patterns are very simple and straightforward: stripes, herringbones, geometric shapes and stars. When painting a Filimonovskaya toy, floral patterns predominate: leaves, sun, branches, berries and flowers.

Russian folk toy made of wood

Bogorodskaya Russian traditional toy comes from the village of Bogorodskoye, Moscow province. The toy is made of wood, mainly linden. Before making a toy, the linden tree must dry for two years. Wood chips are used to make toy stands. Bogorodsk toys are rarely decorated or painted. In Rus', the surface of finished figurines was cleaned with sandpaper. Next, the toys are finished with carvings, which lie rhythmically on the surface and decorate the product. Traditionally, some parts of the toy were made movable. Some toys were mounted on stands-bedside tables, and a spring was inserted inside - it brought the figure into action. Other toys were made on spreader bars (“Herd”, “Cavalry”, “Soldiers”). There are toys whose moving parts are attached to weighted strings; the weight swings, pulls the thread, it activates parts of the figures. The plots of the Bogorodsk toy are varied - these are heroes of fairy tales and fables.

Mazyk Russian folk toy

The wooden Mazyk Russian folk toy is very rare. It was made for relatives - children, wives, parents, etc. In Rus', the Mazyk toy was called “Bolvashka”, “tararushka”, “chip goods”.

The type of carving that is made for the toy was preserved among the Mazyks, part of the community of the Ofeni, peddlers, who lived in the former Vladimir province - this is where the name of the product comes from.

The subjects of Mazyk toys are varied: people, animals, birds.

The main feature of toy production is the use of only an ax; other tools are used extremely rarely. The toy is made of pine, aspen or linden. Traditionally, it is made from logs with protruding knots. These knots are used in the product; they can turn into a tail or beak, or they can become fins for a pike.

The Russian nesting doll is known and loved all over the world. The birthplace of the nesting doll is considered to be the city of Sergiev Posad, where a wooden lady was first made, from which, when opened, similar female figures of different sizes appeared. The invention of the Russian nesting doll dates back relatively recently - the end of the 19th century. During this period, the famous turner V. P. Zvezdochkin, who was engaged in the manufacture of wooden toys, at the request of the artist S. V. Malyutina I made a blank from wood, into which I placed the same opening blanks, but different in size.

The subject for painting the very first toy was the everyday affairs of Russian beauties. The matryoshka consisted of 8 wooden dolls. Later, the number of dolls varied and even reached 48 wooden ladies. Matryoshka dolls were produced in an artel S. I. Mamontova in Sergiev Posad. The Russian nesting doll was exhibited at exhibitions in Paris. This amazing toy attracted the attention of foreigners, who began placing orders with Russian craftsmen.

Mostly matryoshka dolls were distributed, which consisted of 3, 8 and 12 dolls. The more dolls there were, the more valuable the matryoshka became.

The main subject of the nesting dolls was everyday life. Most often they depicted the home activities of ladies. The girls were depicted in traditional outfits and always wearing a headscarf. The girls held sickles for the harvest, jugs of milk, and baskets of berries in their hands. Later, other subjects began to be depicted on matryoshka dolls, for example, characters from fairy tales and fables, heroes from stories by famous writers.

Once they tried to change the shape of the nesting dolls, for example, cone-shaped dolls appeared that were inserted into one another. But this form was not popular among the people, so the masters returned to the previous one.

The dolls also differed in their painting. Currently, the following types of painting are distinguished:

Zagorsk (bright, rich colors and many small, clearly drawn elements);
Merinovskie (large flowers);
Semenovskie (strict symmetrical painting);
Polkhovskie (image of rosehip flowers);
Vyatskie (northerner young lady).

To make nesting dolls, linden is used, which, after painting, is coated with transparent varnish on oil based. First, the craftsman grinds out the smallest solid figure. Then he makes the bottom of the next figure. After processing, this element dries well, and only then the upper part of the figure is adjusted. According to this scheme, all the components of the nesting doll are prepared. Dried parts must be treated with starch glue, which serves as the basis for painting. After the product has dried, begin painting the nesting dolls.

First, the master draws the face. The head of the nesting doll is depicted covered with a scarf, which is painted in traditional Russian patterns. The type of clothing most often depicted is a sundress; sometimes it is complemented by an apron. The figurine is decorated with floral ornaments.

After the paint has dried, a finishing layer is applied, which protects the nesting doll from moisture and chips.

Fedoseevskaya Russian folk toy was made in the village of Fedoseevo, Nizhny Novgorod province. IN late XIX centuries in the Nizhny Novgorod region, the toy business developed everywhere. A craftsman lived in Fedoseevo Yakov Alexandrovich Alexandrov, who made movable toys from wood chips and boards.

Toys are made with a knife and an ax, using wooden chips and planks. Chips and planks are nailed together with nails and painted with simple patterns. Initially, toys were painted with a quill pen. Later they began to dip the entire product in yellow paint, getting a sunny background, and then applying flowers.

The main plot of Fedoseev's toy is horses. They also cut out doll furniture, cars, boats, carousels, sleighs, airplanes, trams, and multi-story steamers.

By the 1930s, Fedoseev toys began to be produced on an industrial basis in the city of Semenov. In 1948, the Fedoseevsky artel of toy makers was annexed to the Semenovsky cooperative.

The main colors of the Fedoseev toy are yellow and red. In the 1950s, the fishery began to lose its former popularity. Currently master N. S. Muravyov revives the toy industry.

The Bird of Happiness is a toy made using a special technique from wood. It comes from the Arkhangelsk province. Initially, the toy was called the “Pomeranian Dove.” In the middle of the 20th century, the art of making this toy was practically lost. The master began to revive the craft Martyn Filippovich Fatyanov from the village of Selishche, Leshukonsky district, Arkhangelsk region.

The bird of happiness was usually hung from the ceiling in the front corner of the village front room, where there was a table with benches. When a boiling samovar was placed on the table, the carved bird, obeying the currents of hot air, slowly and solemnly began to rotate around its axis.

Famous ethnographic researcher S. V. Maksimov reports that in the 19th century, a chip bird suspended from the ceiling was mandatory attribute Pomeranian house. He mentions that such doves were made by Pomeranian Old Believers in their monasteries, as well as by Murmansk industrialists: “ Here are the same doves made from splinters - the leisure activity of skilled hermits, attached to the ceiling for decoration.». M. M. Prishvin in his story “According to Maymax” he mentions a bird, describing an old Pomor man: “ Otherwise, I’ll take a photo of him, and he’ll hang the portrait in a “clean” room above a table with a clean tablecloth. The Monks Zosima and Savvaty will look at it from the corner, and from the ceiling - carved from wood and painted in blue paint little dove - “sort of like the Holy Spirit”" From the above quote it follows that such a dove was personified with the Holy Spirit. But these are not folk symbols, since in the Gospel the dove also personifies the Holy Spirit.

In the 1920s of the 20th century, an ethnographer Nina Gagen-Thorn in the story “The Path to the North” he mentions a bird: “ I stopped in amazement; the wide window shone with an azure frame. Behind him, the silver expanses of the ocean sparkled, and against their background, a carved boat suspended on a string from the window casing swayed. It was so skillfully carved and equipped that it seemed to have floated here from the ocean, miraculously not growing larger, and hung on the window. On its sides dangled birds cut from thin shavings on the same laces. One, spreading her multi-colored tail, turned her head to the sea; the other, with a girlish face and a high crown, looked into the room, bright blue wings folded on her chest».

Birds of happiness were made from two solid bars and wood chips, without the use of glue or fasteners. The opposite ends of one block are thinly sliced lengthwise. The very ends are cut out figuratively. On the second block, the bird’s head is cut out at one end, and longitudinal cuts for the tail at the other. In the middle of each of the two bars, cutouts are made for subsequent connection. They are connected in such a way that a cross is formed. The ends of the chips are split in a special way, like a fan. The result is wings and a tail. Chip feathers are sometimes held together with threads. The bird is usually made from Karelian pine, spruce, fir or Siberian cedar. Initially, the product is light, but over time the wood acquires a golden hue. In the old days in Rus' it was not customary to paint doves. Nowadays, painted birds have also become popular.

26.05.2008 10:44

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History of toys in Russia

At the first stages of development, all peoples globe gave the children something that amuses them - images of birds, animals or creatures in which they believe.

A toy is the most important component of any culture, reflecting national traditions and geographical features. Children's toys are life in miniature; one might say the foundation on which a child's worldview is formed; therefore, the formation of personality largely depends on them.
Since ancient times, people understood this and gave their children exactly what was close to them: swords, animal figurines, elegant dolls, etc.

They made toys from any available materials. First, bones, wood, clay and plants, later from rags, glass, leather and iron, and much later rubber, plastic and other chemical materials were used.

In the past, toys were treated with great respect. They were never left haphazardly, but were stored in special baskets or chests. Moreover, toys not only carried an educational element, but were sometimes deified, participating in numerous rituals or acting as amulets. But we will tell you more about this a little later. The history of Russian toys is interesting from the first pages.

Of course, the distant past is associated with endless wars. Boys with early years They imagined themselves sitting on a horse, and in their hand instead of a stick a sword should shine.

Such toys have not gone out of fashion for many centuries. The first exhibits of toy museums date back to the 12th-13th centuries, although it is safe to say that similar toys existed before.

The girls mostly played with figures depicting people and animals, reflecting the life of the class to which the family belonged. A similar tradition has been preserved to this day, only they began to look different.

As mentioned earlier, in ancient times dolls were not always just fun; sometimes they played a very significant role. For example, according to the beliefs of our ancestors, the birth of a new life was perceived as the mercy and disposition of divine powers, but the process of birth itself was associated with something sinful and unclean. During the birth pangs, people saw the presence of evil forces tormenting the woman in labor and the baby.

The man was given an active role in this process; he was always present at birth and had to provide protection from evil spirits by performing various rituals. These rituals were called "kuvada". A basket with chicken eggs, on which the man sat, pretending to hatch them. At the same time, the father had to scream just as furiously, imitating the woman in labor, thereby luring evil spirits into the dressing room.

To prevent the deceived spirits from returning, the man was given special ritual dolls - Kuvades, which were swaddled and held like a baby. It was believed that they were inhabited evil spirits, confusing them with a real child, and therefore Kuvad was burned after childbirth during a special purification ritual.

By the end of the 19th century, people forgot the origins ancient rite, but the dolls remained and acquired a new mystical orientation. Now they hung over the cradle after the baby’s baptism, still protecting him from the machinations of evil spirits. Afterwards, these dolls served as amulets for children and at home while parents went to work. As a rule, these toys were small in size and all of different colors, which helped the development of the baby's vision.

If you noticed, toys are still hung around the cradle, but mystical properties are no longer attributed to them.

Stolbushka dolls also became widespread in those days. They received this name due to the fact that their basis was a birch pole dressed in a dress. Distinctive feature The advantage of such toys was that they could stand steadily, so they were willing to decorate houses with them and use them to perform various scenes at youth celebrations.

According to ethnographers of the early 20th century, in some peasant houses there were up to hundreds of Stolbushka dolls.

For a long time, toys remained practically unchanged, but by the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, an unprecedented leap occurred in this area, primarily due to the fact that toys became a product that found its buyer.

With each decade, toys began to become more beautiful, brighter, more complex and closer to reality.

Again, in many ways, the features of the toys depended on the class for which they were made. At the same time as these simple skates, there were already porcelain dolls in expensive outfits identical to the real ones, in whose hands could be equally real fans or umbrellas.

In the twentieth century, toys began to change at such a speed that they need to be considered in separate decades. And here we can rightfully talk about fashion for toys.

Fifties

Cotton Christmas decorations, teddy bears and, of course, soldiers came into fashion. Also in all houses, porcelain figurines were a standard decoration for chests of drawers and dressing tables.

Sixties

In the toys of the sixties, as a rule, two themes were reflected - agriculture and astronautics, because golden ears of corn and a joyfully smiling Gagarin became the symbol of the sixties.

Seventies-eighties

The toy industry of this time reached its peak. Plush has replaced faux fur, and the modest tonal palette of previous decades is giving way to bright colors.
The main images of the toys are taken from cartoon characters, these are Winnie the Pooh, and Kitten Woof, and Burenka from Maslenkin, and of course, everyone’s favorite Uncle Gena and Cheburashka.

Nineties

This decade can be safely called the time of foreign toys, the fashion for which has changed more than once a year. Here are Barbie and Ninja Turtles, as well as jumpers, lickers, rainbows and other strange fun in the company of Kinder surprises and the ever-dying Tamagotchi.

And yet, all these toys were undoubtedly made for something and for some reason: to develop children physically and intellectually, to teach them to respect their country and its history. Childhood spent many centuries in movement and immersion in one’s own imagination. Whether it was a rag doll or fashionista Barbie with a bright pink kitchen set, the essence of the game did not change. The child created his own world, his own stories, learned to be friends, love, quarrel and make peace, and most importantly, all this was inseparable from real everyday subtleties. The dolls ate, slept, went to school and work, and the child was ready for the fact that one day playing at being his mother’s daughter would become a reality; moreover, he wanted it and was proud of his desire.

What are children playing now?

The material was created based on information and photographs from the resources:
www.rustoys.ru, bibliotekar.ru, www.talantik.ru, etc.

The 19th century is the peak of the doll industry. Before this, children played with whatever they had - straw, rag, clay dolls. Even such toys were a joy, but adults created masterpieces for themselves - they were collected, carefully stored on shelves and taken out only on holidays. Dolls were made of wood and wax; only in the 19th century did this type of arts and crafts become widespread. The masters came up with the idea that only the face and limbs could be created from porcelain or wood, and the body could be made of rags - this reduced the cost of the dolls, which meant that more and more families could afford such luxury.

Interestingly, France became the trendsetter for dolls in the 19th century - it was from this country that beautiful dolls came to Europe. To this day, they are exhibited in the windows of museums around the world and stored in private collections. Dolls were quite expensive, cheap toys were produced only in a handicraft way, but self-respecting syndicates offered really interesting products, however, most often children were given unpresentable toys, and adults tinkered with the dolls - they sewed dresses for them, bought jewelry.

At that time, the standard of beauty was considered to be a plump face, lush hair and disproportionate big eyes on a doll's face - this is how these dolls have survived to this day.

Dolls are also on sale, complete with all sorts of accessories - additional clothing, umbrellas, caps, cradles. It was in the 19th century that doll sets and entire houses for them appeared.

Dressing tables, elegant trays with miniature cups and saucers, beautiful combs and unusual carved chairs and tables - skilled craftsmen made these items from tin, porcelain, and wood by hand, so they were very expensive.

Even entire scenes were created. For example, Danish craftsmen of the 19th century created the composition “In the Shop”, where the doll figurine and all auxiliary materials are carved from natural wood and painted by hand.

And this is a striking example of puppetry in Germany - the doll became a reflection of the fashion of that time, in this country they first began to produce and doll houses with full furnishings.

At the beginning of the 19th century, papier-mâché dolls began to be created in Europe - their parts were held together using hinges, threads and wooden sticks. Dolls made from unglazed porcelain were supplied to Russia from Germany, for a long time this country was considered the best manufacturer of toys.

Many craftsmen have learned to make dolls from papier-mâché different countries. At the same time, the first collections of dolls in traditional outfits appeared, which became a reminder of the culture and rituals of the country. The doll was considered a wonderful gift not only for a child, but also for an adult; it became a decoration for the home, many people collected collections of hundreds of dolls - it is thanks to private collections that many museums have exhibitions of the 19th century.

Another interesting novelty of that time were mechanical dolls. These bisque and wax toys and dolls are the most prized. The dolls could open and close their eyes, bend their arms and legs, sit and even pronounce individual words. At the same time, mechanical toys also appeared that could, for example, write a hieroglyph or play a couple of notes on a toy harpsichord - people were delighted with this of different ages. It took the master several months to make such a doll.

In Japan, such dolls were called karakuri, they performed various actions and were certainly dressed in national costumes. In addition to Japan, mechanical dolls were made in Germany, France, England, and only rich nobles could order such a toy to the Russian Empire.

Antique dolls are still an adornment of many collections; they are valued not only for their antiquity, but also for their beauty, originality, and most importantly - handmade!

Incredible facts

We often believe that robots are an achievement of our era - era high technology , however, few people know that in the distant past, amazing mechanical toys and machines were made. Incredible robot in the form of a caterpillar, auctioned in 2010, is proof that resourceful 19th-century inventors created their own robot toys that amaze audiences even today.

Ethiopian caterpillar - a funny antique toy

This original caterpillar was created made of high standard gold and decorated with precious stones. This makes it clear that our ancestors created these products more from an aesthetic point of view than from a functional one.

It's hard to believe, but this incredible mechanical robot was created before the era of electricity. at the beginning of the century before last. Its author is a Swiss watchmaker Henry Maillarde, who was going to sell it to wealthy Chinese aristocrats.

The robot was named "Ethiopian caterpillar", when Maillardet and his partner, the legendary watchmaker Jacques Droz organized an exhibition to showcase their collection of miniature jewelery toys in London. This collection surprised the audience a lot.

Currently, only six robots created by Maillard are known, 5 of which are in jewelry collections in Europe, one of them in Patek-Philippe Museum, and two more in Sandoz.

Not much is known about Henry Maillard. He was born in 1745 in Switzerland and was a master watchmaker in London, making watches and other movements, including various robots. Among them were special robots - automatons , mechanical toy machines that could write in French and English.

The movements of the automatons, who could also draw pictures, were based on principles of classical mechanics. When one such robot was introduced in Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1928, no one knew exactly where it came from or who its author was. However, when the machine was launched, he himself “informed” who created it, writing the name Maillardet.

The Ethiopian caterpillar was sold to some Asian rich man at an auction in Geneva in 2010 for 415 thousand dollars. It consists of 11 segments connected together, which are separated by rings of pearls. The product is also covered with transparent red enamel and decorated with precious stones set in gold, including rubies, turquoise, diamonds and emeralds. The lower part of the toy is covered with black enamel and gold plated.

If you start the track, it begins to move quite realistically on a flat surface, moving the back and front up and down, simulating the movements of a living caterpillar using gold-plated gear wheels.

The desire to revive inanimate forms of life has haunted people since in ancient times. Craftsmen Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome tried to make wooden statues alive using hidden levers.

Fountain in the form of a robot peacock. 13th-century depiction of the eastern inventor al-Jazari

In the 16th century In Europe, mechanical watches with moving figures appeared that came to life every hour. In 1509 Leonardo da Vinci created a mechanical lion that walked through the hall and laid an iris flower at the feet of the king of France Louis XII. Thanks to the surviving sketches and descriptions of eyewitnesses, today it was possible to recreate this miracle of technology:

Da Vinci's Lion, recreated today by a French museum

Automatons

Automata or automata began to appear in the 17th and 18th centuries and were made for royalty by watchmakers. The dolls performed various “programmed” actions: played musical instruments, drew, wrote phrases in different languages.

Automaton "Writing Boy" Jacques Droz 1774 years has reached our days:

Automatons were essentially simple computers that were programmed to perform tasks.

Faberge eggs with surprises

Famous jeweler Carl Faberge(1846-1920) created, in addition to jewelry, mechanical toys - eggs with surprises, which royalty gave to their relatives for the holidays.

Each egg could take more than a year to complete, although Fabergé did not usually work alone

Tiger Tipu

One of the very interesting examples mechanical toys of the 18th century - a Tiger Tipu toy created for a ruler Principality of Mysore (India) Tipu Sultan. The toy depicts a tiger attacking a British soldier and demonstrating the hatred of Hindus towards the enemy. In 1799 The British discovered the toy in the palace and took it with them to London, where it remains to this day. Hidden in the body of a tiger small organ with 18 keys, and the soldier's hand can move.

It may seem small table toy, but in fact it is made almost life-size

We have talked about Soviet toys more than once, and many of our readers have played with them themselves. Today I propose to look at those toys that you most likely have never even seen. After all, they are all over 100 years old and our grandparents and great-grandparents could play them. True, provided, of course, that they were the children of wealthy parents, since the selection will tell about toys from overseas.

1. Teddy bears or Teddy bears

Now they have integrated tightly into modern life. Almost every American child has at least one bear from this collection.

The origin of the name is not prosaic - they say that Teddy Roosevelt once while hunting spared a bear driven by dogs and tied to a tree, which led to many caricatures. Well, after this story, Morris Michtom, the owner of a toy store, made a stuffed bear, and only then, having secured permission from the president to use his name for soft toy, started selling bears everywhere. Michtom did not file a patent for the toy, so neighboring factories began selling them, resulting in a huge number of completely different Teddy bears.

Here are a couple of Roosevelt cartoons:

(1902)

...aaaand Teddy bears:

Girl with Teddy Bear (1900):

Strong family =)

Two girls playing with teddy bears (1909)

Bear (1900s)

Stuffing a bear in a factory (early 1900s):

Well, I think that's enough about teddy bears, because you can write endlessly about their history and how they have changed over the years.

2. Erector set

One of the most popular toys of all time, also successfully surviving to us, the dream of any boy.

The first designer was created in 1901 by Frank Hornby, an English inventor, engineer and politician who did not have an engineering education. This invention made him a millionaire.
It was a metal construction set consisting of nuts, bolts, ceilings, wheels and other parts. The set also included a screwdriver and wrench. There were no specific schemes - everyone could show their imagination and do whatever they wanted. It was possible to create the whole city with bridges, cars, planes and even flying saucers.

It all looked like this:

And the first colored parts appeared only in 1926.

3. Laonel trains

It's hard to imagine that Lionel trains began to exist around 1901. Of course, the first train was used to attract customers through New York's famous storefronts, but it wasn't long before they appeared in customers' homes.

The Electric Express, Joshua Lionel Cowan's first model train, was created in 1901 by installing a small engine under a model railway platform. The engine was equipped with a battery and the electric express ran along a thirty-centimeter track. By 1953, Lionel Corporation had become the largest toy manufacturer in the world.

4. Raggedy Ann

In 1914, newspaper cartoonist Johnny Gruwell made a doll for his daughter Marcella and named her "Raggedy Ann" after two poems by James Rally, "The Raggedy Man" and "Little Orphan Ann." Two years later, little Ann had a brother - Raggedy Andy in a sailor suit and hat. In 1918, Johnny Gruwell, who was also a writer, began to invent and publish children's fairy tales with these characters. In the fairy tale, the doll came to life and, with its friends, helped the girl.
Gradually, the popularity of the two regged dolls began to grow, and many parents sewed them for their children. These dolls began to be produced on an industrial scale only in 1935. But all Raggedy dolls have one feature - a small heart embroidered on the chest with the inscription “I love you”. At the age of 13, Marcella died due to improper vaccination against smallpox. Marcella's parents organized a movement against forced vaccination, and in memory of their little daughter they made Raggedy Ann a symbol of this movement.

Handmade Raggedy Ann (circa 1930)

Girl with a doll:

Modern Raggedy Ann:

In the 50s, items with the Raggedy Ann logo appeared, such as dishes and tea sets, and people began to actively collect numerous dolls and everything connected with them.
It's amazing how an ordinary rag doll has become a symbol of hope for the entire country. For example, in the second world war families sent these dolls to the military as mascots.

Like this simple doll has become an important part of American culture.

5. TinkerToys

Also a designer, but for the youngest. It consists of numerous parts from which you can make anything you want:

TinkerToys(1900)

Later version:

Modern TinkerToys:

Here's what you can do with it. Frankly, my surprise knows no bounds; this is the first time I’ve heard about this toy. I asked S. - he has a little brother, he also doesn’t know anything about her. In short, here it is:

6. Tiddlywinks

A game that I myself played in my childhood, but until tonight I didn’t know what it was called:

Today:

The player's task is to throw his chip as close to the target as possible. Originally there was a glass, but now there are different rules of the game.

This is what the game looked like in the 1900s:

The same glass (in English - "a pot")

The same game in the 1930s:

7. Lincoln Logs

Another designer. It's amazing how popular they were back then =). The parts of this construction set were jagged decorative logs for building small fortresses and buildings.
The toy was invented in 1916 by John Lloyd Wright, the second son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
The logs themselves are approximately two centimeters wide in diameter. Similar to the real logs used in log buildings, Lincoln logs are jagged so that they can be set at right angles to each other to form rectangles that resemble buildings. Additional building parts include roofs, chimneys, windows and doors that add realism to the finished building. Later, animal and human figures were added to the sets. The toy sets were originally made of mahogany, with roofs of different colors. In the 1970s, the company introduced kits made entirely of plastic, but without success, Noni continued to produce kits made of wood. Over time, the sets became more and more complex.

John Lloyd Wright once admitted that he named his construction kit in honor of Abraham Lincoln, who was born in a log cabin due to growing patriotism during the First World War.

Lincoln Logs and John Lloyd Wright were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1999.

I couldn’t find any houses from those years, so only modern ones:

Here you can see the structure better:

8. Crayons

Crayola Crayons released their first 8 crayons in 1903 and haven't looked back. Creators Edwin Binney and Harold Smith could not have imagined that their product would soon become essential in every classroom in the country.

9. Radio Flyer Wagon (red metal cart)

Anton Pazin, an Italian immigrant, decided to name his toy so as to capture the spirit of the era. In 1917 there was radio newest invention and everyone around was talking about him. It quickly became one of the favorite toys of the time and remains popular to this day in American families.

20th:

50s:

10. Tin toys
Despite the fact that Germany had been making them for many years, at the turn of the century America began to do so, which allowed these toys to spread throughout the country. They were made of metal and painted. Mechanical toys were also popular during this time. But look for yourself:

Music box with bisque porcelain dolls: