Carved figurine toys are wooden figures shaped by hand with knife and chisel rather than turned on a lathe. Unlike smooth turned pieces, carved figures carry the maker's marks — visible tool cuts, deliberate faceting, small asymmetries — that give each piece its individual character. Traditional subjects include animals, human figures, spirit and religious figures, and folk heroes. The wood chosen is usually soft enough to carve cleanly but strong enough to hold detail: linden, cottonwood, softwood, or local hardwoods.
After carving, most figures are painted, though some traditions leave them plain to show the wood grain. Carving is a slow craft — a single detailed figure can take hours or days. It survives today in named workshops where the skill passes from master to apprentice over years of practice.
Explore this craft by country
Each country page describes how this tradition is practised there — its own names, materials, workshops and living makers.