A wonderful world of toys that warms the heart

AMMAN — Just in time for the festive season, and charming the inner child in all those who view his works, Venezuelan toymaker Mario Calderon is gracing Amman with his, and his toys’, presence.

In his magical universe, wooden toys come to life, stimulate the imagination, enchant the eye and leave one in awe. In a simple yet difficult to fathom manner, master Calderon uses simple physics laws and a load of imagination, to not only create his toys — singers, acrobats, dressmakers (as a homage to his mother), soldiers, animals — but to also make them move in unlikely ways, to the delight of the viewer.

Born in Caracas, he had studied music — percussion and strings — before going to Merida to study medicine, carrying childhood toys with him. Later, with the money made from music, he would buy more toys; at the recommendation of a teacher familiar with his passion, he discovered a shop that was selling toys “just like mine”. The sight of the toy soldiers “stirred deep emotions” and let his artistic streak genie out of the bottle, making him abandon medicine in the last year.

It took his fiancée’s encouragement “to make my own toys” to start a career that now spans 30 years, that helped him get over her untimely death in an accident and that “makes me happy”. 

And happy they make all those who see his delicately balanced acrobats, “characters” portraying his country’s traditions, levitating, twirling, sliding, climbing, playing instruments, sewing and riding horses, or his “floating” ships bobbing up and down on waves, his musicians actually producing music at the turn of a lever, elephants or horses in precarious balance, flying trapeze gymnasts, a chess board and more.

Seeing this delightful world, it is difficult to believe that sheer imagination and a few cranks, knobs, pulleys or plain elastic bands can bring it to life and create charming tableaux that keep the eyes glued to them.

Master Calderon’s toys received important awards both in his country and elsewhere, including the UNESCO Award of Excellence for Handicrafts.

The toymaker and collector, based on whose life two Venezuelan audiovisual creators produced the movie “The Toymaker”, has thousands of pieces in his house in Merida that span well over a century — from contemporary to toys that were made as far back as 1860.

Visitors are many and the privilege of entering his enchanting universe comes free of charge.

His colourful wooden toys have been exhibited in many museums on four continents; some are permanently exhibited in the Santa Fe Museum of Folk Art.

Now he has an exhibition at the Toy Museum in Istanbul, which will later be itinerant, travelling to other cities in Turkey, and for a few days he is in Amman, where his toys will be on display, and for sale, on the premises of the Venezuelan embassy in Amman, for the local and Venezuelan community, until December 15.

Adapting some to the place, Calderon has crafted toys in traditional Jordanian costumes, some riding horses or camels; an endearing sight.

The toys, painted mainly in bright primary colours that are sure to attract the eye and children’s attention, and their mesmerising mechanical qualities make one feel happy. 

Adults cannot help but feel nostalgic and delighted by the dainty figures that send them back in time. Children, living in their virtual world, will probably find the real three-dimensional toys strange or incomprehensible. Whatever the age of their viewers, though, one thing is sure: The toys are worth seeing and marvelling at.