Europa - Antique Toys

Every year PostEurop organizes special stamps that are issued with the EUROPA logo which have a unique central theme for all its members. The theme for the year 2015 is antique toys, and Croatian Post Mostar on its stamps present the wooden flute (ćurlik) and the rocking horse. Toys are not only playing objects, but also very important for a child's development, for learning various skills as well as socialization in society. The best memories from early childhood are linked to favorite toys. In the old days, these toys were hand-made like the wooden flute or the rocking horse in which was rooted the love of our parents and grandparents.
The wooden flute or “ćurlik” was made from willow branches lengthen about 10 cm, its edge would be cut at about two-three centimeters from the top by a knife, and the core would be detached from the wood and taken off. On the part of the wood that had the core taken off, a cut was made in a form of a letter V, and the top of the cut would be thinned out. On this treated and prepared branch, the core that was taken off is placed back again and the flute is ready to be played on. The first rocking horses appeared in the 17th century, even though some sources mention them in medieval manuscripts. From the 19th century rocking horses are built by crafty woodcarvers, hand-made relatively crudely to finely ornamented rocking horses that were made for children of royalty families. The wooden flute and rocking horse, as simple as can be, ever yet awakened the imagination and emotions of small child's hearts and left a permanent memory of a childhood filled with careless play and genuine happiness. (Željka Šaravanja)