Phong Dat - Vietnamese traditional toy

“Phong Dat” (clay statue) is a traditional folk toy of Vietnamese children in the past, as well as an item used in temples and pagodas for worshipping rituals.

The soil used to shape “Phong Dat” is finely milled and clean clay (Photo: VNA)

The shaping process is mostly by hands, few of them use mould (Photo: VNA)

Using a thin, pointed sharp bamboo stick to form Phong Dat (Photo: VNA)

After being shaped, the “Phong Dat” statue is left to dry in the sun for at least 6 to 7 days until it is completely dry (Photo: VNA)

The colours mostly used for painting the figurines are white, yellow,  green, red and black (Photo: VNA)

Clay statues are usually figurines of animals like turtles, birds and people in traditional clothes  (Photo: VNA)

The Phong Dat puppet often made after the zodiac signs (Photo: VNA)

Some of these are used in worshipping ritual of Vietnamese people (Photo: VNA)

(Photo: VNA)

The bird resting on a buffalo's back, a familiar image of Vietnamese villages (Photo: VNA)

(Photo: VNA)

(Photo: VNA)

A uniquely-shaped ashtray that resembles a turtle (Photo: VNA)

(Photo: VNA)

(Photo: VNA)

VNA