Myanmar traditional toys are colourful and attractive. They reflect Myanma culture and strength.
Myanmar children can also learn scientific concepts from these lovely toys.
Myanmar toys are made from several materials such as paper, wood, bamboo, metal and clay.
Here are some of the collections of Myanmar traditional toys.
Click on the name to see more.
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Pyit-taing-htaung ( Tumbling Kelly ) |
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Pyit-taing-htaung is a papier-mâché toy. "Pyit-taing-htaung' means "that which always rights itself when thrown down".It is a knock-about egg-shaped toy with a smiling and serene face.
This toy is weighed down with clay stuck inside the base. It is fun for the kids to roll them about and see them always stand upright.
The science concept that is used in this toy is centre of gravity.
Pyit-taing-htaung will not fall over since its centre of gravity is too low.
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A common papier-mâché toy is Po Wa, or Little Fat Boy.
He has a jovial character with hair tied in two trailing tresses.
He represents a royal page and was chosen as the logo of the Visit Myanmar Year. |
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| To make wooden toys like owls, the figures are carved out of softwood and then covered with gold paper. Cute facial aspects are then drawn or painted on the owls. These golden owls are the favourite not just of children but also of adults who proudly display them in their living rooms. |
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| Animals such as oxen, tigers, or elephants are familiar to the children in daily life or through tales, |
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Myanmar top is made entirely of wood right down to the single leg on which it spins. It is a lovingly crafted piece, exbiting the skill requires in wood-carving and turnery.
The pear-shaped wooden Myanmar top is known as the kalatt gyin. Boys throw it from the shoulder level, but the girls crouch down, hold the top and use a string to get it spinning. The force unwind the string and the top spins beautifully.
A spinning top shows gyroscopic motion and procession.
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A Myanmar kite is normally made with "hsi-sein" (oil-treated) coloured paper, supported by small and flexible bamboo strips to get proper balance and weight. A kite is not filled with a power source to enable flying but it is well designed to get a lift to float in the wind and it is controlled by the flyer with a cotton thread in a reel in his hands.
Aerodynamics is essential in designing a kite that will really fly. Bamboo strips used as a supporting frame for a kite must be strong and flexible. The framework of a kite must also correspond to the speed of the wind.
The flying of a kite involves a scientific technique. There are four forces that affect flight: drag, thrust, lift, gravity. Objects only fly when the upward force of air (lift) is greater than the downward force (gravity). |
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Small Musical Instruments |
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Myanmar children also enjoy playing with small traditional instruments such as drums, xylophones, clappers and flutes that are made of wood, leather, metal or bamboo.
Such toys not only entertain children but also help develop their musical sense. |
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A variety of stringed puppets in the forms of princes, princesses, royal officials, clowns and horses are made of wood as toys for children and sovenirs for appreciative tourists.
The puppets of Myanmar are string puppets . People love the little puppets that deputize for human-beings. The Myanmar puppet shows the real Myanmar Style as it includes all the artistic work such as Myanmar dancing and music, wood carvings, sequins embroidery and paintings. |
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These are the pictures and scripts that we collect from MRTV-3 website. |
| 1. Paper Toys |
Myanmar traditional handmade paper toys are the pleasure of young children. Though there are a variety of modern toys, most common paper toys such as 'Pho-Wa", " Pyit-taing-htaung" still win the hearts of Myanmar children in both urban and rural communities.
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The art of making paper toys is the combination of the art of sculpture and painting.
- First, the figure of the toy that you want to make must be carved out of wood by using the art of sculpture. A vertical groove must be cut along the back of the wooden model.
- Then cover the wooden model with scraps of paper to get a rough model.
- Then the rough models are dried in the sun.
- When these are dried, cut from the back where the groove was left. And take the wooden model out of the paper shell. And then give the finishing touches to the paper toy.
- Finally colour the toys by using the art of painting. |
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2. Bamboo Toys |
The process of making bamboo toys is very simple with the regional products. |
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The first step is to cut the Bamboo as required measurement and the next step is connecting the bamboo and the wood. There is a hole where they can put a plastic pinion, then they will put it inside and they can make the sound like a bullet. So it’s the second step. The third step is very interesting as he blows the wind through the pipe by using a candle, he can write letters as he wish. So they can create as the costumers require. Now he is writing MRTV-3.
( From MRTV-3 website) |
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