About Etikoppaka Toys:
- Why in News: Recently, Andhra Pradesh’s eco-friendly wooden Etikoppaka Toys earn accolades at Republic Day parade.
- About Etikoppaka Toys:
- Known as Etikoppaka Bommalu, they are the exquisite wooden toys rooted in a 400-year-old tradition of craftsmanship.
- They originated in Etikoppaka village in Andhra
- The toys are renowned for their smooth contours and vibrant colours, coloured with natural dyes derived from seeds, lacquer, bark, roots and leaves.
- The artisans mainly use the wood from trees known as ‘ankudu’ (Wrightia tinctoria) that is soft in nature.
- These toys have no sharp edges. They are rounded on all sides.
- In 2017, the toys received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, a hallmark of their authenticity and cultural significance.
- GI tag:
- It is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
- In India, GI registration is administered by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
- The first product in India to be accorded with GI tag was Darjeeling tea in the year 2004-05.
