Clay toys. Clay toys - whistles. Painting clay toys

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Russian clay toys have been part of the life of the people for many centuries. The art of making such gizmos and the traditions of the craft were passed down from generation to generation. These seemingly trinkets are the epitome of the beauty, work and lifestyle of the Russian people.

History of the origin of clay toys

On the territory of our country, archaeologists have found the most ancient clay toys dating back to the second millennium BC. They were rattles, various utensils and small clay similarities of tools. During excavations (Moscow, Ryazan), toys of later origin were also found. They had a cult significance and were made in the form of figurines of people, birds, horses. These toys were created by sculpting clay and then firing it in a kiln. Sometimes they were decorated with paintings and glazed.

The history of clay toys developed rapidly. Its production in the 17-18 centuries. grew rapidly. Figurines began to be made specifically for sale at spring fairs. Clay - plastic and softmaterial. It was suitable not only for the formation of dishes. All kinds of whistle toys, images of people, birds, animals, rattles (rattles) and much more were sculpted from it. Each master had his own style and manner of sculpting and decorating the product. Under Alexei Mikhailovich, the royal court began to buy such gizmos as souvenirs and gifts.

At that time, clay toys sculpted everything, from small to large. They did this for the most part in the autumn-winter season, when there was plenty of time free from rural worries. And to this day, the folk toy made of clay does not lose its relevance. Created in all sorts of variations of shape and color, it has a magical ability to bring comfort, warmth and good mood to the house.

Folk clay toy: differences in origin and manufacturing method

Toys may differ in the composition of the clay taken for crafts, and in the manner of modeling characteristic of a particular type of product. Images are best molded from oily clay. It is mainly used for the manufacture of Filimonov toys. Each product is characterized by certain shapes and colors, which depend on the type of clay found in a particular area and its plastic properties.

Clay toys made earlier represent a special branch of pottery that has survived to this day. Expressiveness and simplicity are the main criteria for sculpting these products by folk craftsmen.

Russian ceramic toys are very famous: Abashevsky,Kargopol, Dymovskiy, Filimonovskiye, etc. This craft has spread to many countries of the world.

Kargopol clay toy: history of rebirth

These crafts owe their name to their place of origin, the city of Kargopol, Arkhangelsk region, or rather the villages around it. It was there that at first the peasants created toys from the most accessible material in these places - clay.

The story of the revival of this craft is quite interesting. In relation to other types of craftsmanship, the revival of which was organized in Soviet times, the art of the Kargopol toy in Russia at some point was practically lost. However, some samples of products managed to be preserved and brought to our days thanks to Ulyana Babkina. She was able to give a second life to the once extinct type of craft. Clay toys, photos of which are presented below, reflect the whole personality and features of their places of origin.

Features of the appearance of the Kargopol toy

Kargopol handicrafts, in comparison with their other relatives, are distinguished by their rather archaic appearance. Nevertheless, they are quite recognizable by their type, style and painting.

Plots are conditionally divided into 2 categories:

• Story toys that showcase the village lifestyle and recreate fairy tales. The theme can be completely different - "Laundry Girl", "Fishermen", "Three Horses" and the like.
• Vintage types - all kinds of animals, polkan (a person with a bodyhorse), shoreline (a woman with doves in her hands).

The most important ceremonial theme of these toys is the "mother woman", the prototypes of which are the life-giving forces of the "mother - damp earth" and the sun. A favorite image among the Kargopol masters is the female figurine "Bobka".

Modern masters can come up with new stories with the preservation of signs of Kargopol toys. This only multiplies the already rich abundance of images of such crafts.

If you follow all the traditions, the painted toy is a whitewashed figurine, decorated with different colors, but without any gloss and unnecessary details. Despite the variety of colors, shades, including bright ones, look rather muted. Face painting is quite simple.

Inherent Patterns

Painting clay toys is quite simple, but it takes its origin from ancient times. Here you can see rectangles, ovals, rhombuses, strokes, stripes, specks, oblique crosses. The paint set mainly consists of brown, ocher, black, green, brick red and blue. Silver and gold paints are added less often.

Clay whistles: their meaning and beliefs

As a child's play, clay toys-whistles began to be perceived relatively recently. Earlier, during the time of the pagan gods, these figurines had a magical meaning. They were used to scare away evil spirits.

The Pinezh conspiracy says that the toy is capable of luring diseases onto itself. Same goalThey also had various whistles. They were often sculpted in the form of various animals and birds, which, in general, were the traditional theme of Russian folk toys.

In the Tula region, there were beliefs that whistles could remove damage from a person and return it to the one who sent it. These or other types of figurines could get rid of various ailments. As a rule, they were placed opposite the window to protect the child from evil and disease.

In the 19th century, an ancient ritual was performed in Vyatka with the use of a toy whistle, designed to drive out evil forces and attract good ones. This holiday was called "Svistoplyaska" or "Whistle". These days, adults and children whistled clay whistles, indulged in dancing and fun.

What makes clay crafts unique?

Looking at all the works of early and modern masters, including foreign ones, one can see an abundant variety of whistle crafts. It depends on many factors, including the birdie - a tool for piercing a hole in a toy. All tools are almost the same in length - from 80 mm to 100 mm. However, the cross section can be very diverse - round, oval or rectangular.

The birdie of each master is his personal tool, made by himself, so everyone's technique is different, and the result, accordingly, differs from others. Nevertheless, methods for making whistles are known absolutely without any devices, where only hands are used.

The importance of crafts in the modern world

Making clay toys is an individual process for each person. Such classes in school circles are very useful. With their help, you can arouse interest in and love for world culture in children, develop hand motor skills, artistic taste, train perseverance, perseverance and patience.

Properties of clay used for making toys

It is easy to guess that clay toys, including whistles, are made of clay. In its natural form, it can be found in various colors, but usually after firing it changes its color to white or red. Therefore, they began to call her "white-burning" or "red-burning".

Clay deposits

Red-burning clay is the most widespread. It is usually found on the banks of lakes and rivers, ravines and slopes. It can also be found on construction sites when digging pits.

But you should know that natural or living clay is not always suitable for making crafts, as it often contains all kinds of impurities - small stones, sand, and the like. Clay with a sand content of up to 5% is called "fat", and one in which the proportion of sand reaches 30% is called "lean".

To make a high-quality whistle, you should take material of medium fat content (10-15%).

Preparation of material for work

Clay dough, or ceramic mass, is a mixture that has passed a certain technologicalprocess, after which it is ready for the manufacture of pottery. On an industrial scale, special machines are used for this - presses, screens, ball mills, etc. But for making it in small quantities, the whole process can be simplified.

Technology stages:

• Collect clay in the quarry. A small lump of material should be pre-fired in a kiln to ensure it is fit to work.
• Spread lumps on a clean surface and dry.
• Further, crush them and remove the existing impurities of chips, stones, blades of grass, etc.
• Add water to the crushed mass at the rate of three parts of liquid and one part of clay. Stir the solution thoroughly.
• Let the mass settle until the heaviest part (stones with sand) settles to the bottom. The remaining clarified water should be carefully drained.
• Dig out the middle layer of clay and immerse it in a plaster bath or bucket.
• Let the mixture dry to a thick dough, then it will not stick to your hands during operation.
• Knead the clay to remove excess air bubbles.
• The quality of the material can be checked as follows: roll up a bundle with a diameter of 15-20 mm, bend it slowly in half. If the place of inflection remains smooth, without cracks or practically without them, then this mass is suitable for making whistles.
• For reliable preservation, place the resulting mass in a plastic bag and close it tightly. In this form, clay can be stored for several months. In a dried lump, you can adda small amount of water and knead it thoroughly.

If your plan is to make just a couple of whistles, try to use the material available to you without the above-described pre-treatment. Clay from some deposits is already ready for use. If it is not possible to prepare the material in the above ways, then it can be purchased at enterprises engaged in the manufacture of ceramic products, in art shops or online stores.