Toto wooden doll, Martta

Kaj Franck designed the Toto wooden dolls in 1945. The villagers, called Martta, Kerttu, Aaro and Eemil, are made by turning wood and finished with painting by hand. The expressive Toto dolls are made in Finland, in the town of Jurva where a long and valued tradition of carpentry is still alive. Kaj Franck valued the traditional skills highly. Throughout his career, he tried his best to improve  the appreciation of the traditional Finnish handcraft.

The Toto dolls were inspired by the basic shapes and colors Franck was fond of. The Toto dolls are dressed in the national costumes. One can find Franck's playful side from the details and expressions of the dolls. The Toto series was originally a lot bigger and consisted of over 100 figures. Franck designed it for the Finnish magazine Kotiliesi and the readers had the chance to purchase the figures. The Toto wooden dolls are now produced by Artek. They are a lovely gift idea – or a nice addition to any decor.

Please note that the Toto dolls contain small parts. Not suitable for children under 14 years.

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Kaj Franck

Artek was founded in 1935 by four young idealists – Alvar and Aino Aalto, Nils-Gustav Hahl and Maire Gullichsen published a design manifesto inspired by functionalism, stating that Artek’s aim was “to sell furniture and to promote modern culture of habitation by exhibitions and other means”. Since its foundation, Artek has played in the intersection of design, architecture, and art, making Finnish design and Alvar Aalto's furniture known all over the world.