Channapatna Stacking Ring Tower

Seven rings, largest at the bottom, turned from hale wood and finished in lac colours rubbed on by hand while the ring spins on the lathe. The peg is rounded at the top and too wide to swallow, and every ring is sanded until it is smooth enough to chew.

Babies start by pulling the rings off and banging them together; toddlers learn to put them back in order. The rainbow set teaches colours, the natural set lets the grain show through - both are the same weight and size, and both come with a small story card about the family that made them.