Lahore Exhibit Highlights Decline of Panjab’s Handmade Folk Toys

A recently held exhibition in Lahore, Pakistan brought renewed attention to Panjab’s diminishing tradition of handmade folk toys. It was a poignant reminder of an art form sidelined by globalization and mass production. Titled Toys: Definitions of Childhood, the display—organised at Alhamra Arts Council—featured vivid photographs and textual notes by artist Waqas Manzoor, as well as actual examples of beloved crafts such as Ghughoo Ghoray (horses fashioned from scrap materials) and colourful clay figurines. While the exhibit evoked nostalgia among viewers, it also conveyed a certain melancholy, reflecting both the struggle of artisans striving to remain relevant and the waning prevalence of hand-crafted items in an era dominated by cheaper, machine-made alternatives. Many of these craftspeople live in poverty, forced to do other jobs for survival. Manzoor, whose photographic and written documentation of the craft dates back to 2021, reveals the challenge of even locating practicing toymakers in Lahore. He recounted searching from Thokar Niaz Baig to the River Ravi before finally finding a family of skilled artisans in Shahdara, all of whom expressed deep concerns about sustaining the centuries-old craft under dire economic conditions. Despite difficulties, these artisans remain determined to continue, partly out of cultural pride and partly from a belief in the inherent value of their work. Beyond the exhibit, Manzoor is currently developing a more extensive documentary in hopes of raising awareness and fostering preservation of the craft. He is especially drawn to folk toys for their raw aesthetic, bright colours, and sustainable materials—qualities that modern, mass-manufactured toys rarely possess. Without stronger patronage or formal documentation, these handmade toys risk disappearing within the next generation, depriving Panjab of a unique form of artistic expression that bridges tradition, environmental consciousness, and childhood wonder.