Hello everyone! My name is Tao Tao. I’m a Loong, but some people also call me a Chinese dragon. Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to go on exciting adventures! I have a big toy box in my cave that I hope to fill with toys and games from all over the world. 

I want to invite you all to join me on my wonderful journey. Scroll down and see more!

Nature

Coming out of my shell for the first time, I was curious about everything in the world. I was born in the beautiful north of China.

When I first learned to fly in the wind, I decided to go farther north and discover the bigger world. The vast, warm grasslands of Mongolia became my destination.

Shooting Bones

In the vast grasses of Mongolia, a group of children showed me what they played with. It was a toy with a unique shape. One of them told me it was a piece of lamb bone. Some of them used the bones for shooting duels, while others competed by throwing them.

Shooting bones. DUROM.2006.23

Shooting bones. DUROM.2006.23

Interlocking puzzle

Some children preferred to sit quietly in the grass with a puzzle in their hands. It was a well-designed puzzle lock, they said. They amazed me because they could take it apart, but also quickly put it back together.

Both the wooden puzzle and the shooting bones are toys made using natural materials available in Mongolia: wood and animal bones.

Interlocking puzzles. DUROM.2006.19&20

Interlocking puzzles. DUROM.2006.19&20

In my travels, I have learned that people are inspired by nature to make toys. Have you noticed how mascots sometimes look like animals that we are familiar with?

Mascots of Olympic Games

In the Olympic Games, a very famous international sports event, every host country designs their own national mascots, based on their local traditions and animals.

I collected a set of plushies from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They are five cute mascots called Fuwa. One of them looks like the Chinese giant panda.

Click Tao Tao and read more stories about Fuwa!

Click Tao Tao and read more stories about Fuwa!

Fuwa Jingjing, one of the Beijing 2008 Olympics mascots. DUROM.2012.3

Fuwa Jingjing, one of the Beijing 2008 Olympics mascots. DUROM.2012.3

Another mascot in my collection is Soohorang from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. He is a white tiger, the sacred animal of Gangwon Province, South Korea.

Soohorang, PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics mascot. DUROM.2018.153

Soohorang, PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics mascot. DUROM.2018.153

Traditional Toys and Games

Travelling the world, I have seen many different traditional toys and games. Traditional toys and games are hand-made, using local materials such as wood, paper and animal bones, reflecting local traditions, cultures and beliefs.

Let’s see what kind of traditional toys and games I have collected from different countries! 

Japan

Japan is one of my favourite places to visit so I have many Japanese toys in my collection!

Japan has many different regions, each with its own toys and games based on local traditions, stories and natural resources. Here are a few of my favourites:

Kokeshi dolls

People from the Tohoku region in north-eastern Japan make kokeshi dolls from wood. Their decorations remind me of flowers. There are many styles of kokeshi, depending on where they were made.

Kokeshi dolls. DUROM.2022.214.1+2

Kokeshi dolls. DUROM.2022.214.1+2

Miharu-koma  

This little wooden horse comes from the rural town of Miharu, Fukushima Prefecture, in north-eastern Japan. This region is well known for their horses, which may explain why this toy was created here.

I like Kokeshi and Miharu-koma so much that I’ve added them to my collection!

Miharu-koma. DUROM.2022.1&2

Miharu-koma. DUROM.2022.1&2

These are my favourite games collected in Japan:

Sugoroku

Sugoroku is a racing game and a game of luck. Players can jump squares by throwing a dice, the one who reaches the centre first wins.

This board depicts all the stops in the famous Tokaido highway, a route which connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and Kyoto during the Edo Period (1603-1868 CE). It is a reproduction of the famous artist Hiroshige Utagawa’s woodblock print series: The Tokaido Fifty-three Stations.

Players start at the Nihonbashi, the beginning of the journey.

Then keep moving to the other stops.

Kyoto, in the middle, is the point of victory.

Karuta

This is a card matching game. The most popular type of Karuta is called 100 Poems by 100 Poets (Hyakunin Isshu), based on a famous collection of poems that is around 800 years old.

A player reads out the first part of the poem from a card. The player who grabs the matching card in the shortest time wins. There are even karuta competitions. I played this game several times, but it’s too difficult for me because my paws are short!

India

Let's travel from Japan to India.  The Ganjifa cards in my collection are another example of the different card games we can find across the world.  

Ganjifa Cards  â€‹

My Ganjifa cards are a Dashavatara Ganjifa card set. It includes ten suits of cards, depicting the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, who is a major deity in Hinduism. Some cards are stronger than others and the goal of the game is to win the most cards. â€‹

In ancient India, people from all classes played Ganjifa. Even today, it is still played by the older generations in the Puri and Maharashtra states. By playing the Ganijifa cards, I learnt about Hindu deities and their symbols, which is one of the charming points of traditional games!​

Ganjifa card wooden box​.

Dashavatara Ganjifa cards. DUROM.2001.139

Dashavatara Ganjifa cards. DUROM.2001.139

Russia

Russia, which across the Asian and European continents, has a different culture from the East Asian countries. Their toys show the unique ethnic elements, and traditional clay toys are one of the representatives. I have a large collection of whistle toys from Russia, let me show you!

Can you imagine that this clay doll with an original and unusual look is a whistle? It represents a soldier with a red hat holding a hen. It was made in the Russian village of Filimonovo (Odoyev district of Tula Oblast), famous for their clay toys and whistles. This kind of clay toys was usually made by whole families, inspired by local people and animals.​

Filimonovo toy-whistle. DUROM.2015.64

Filimonovo toy-whistle. DUROM.2015.64

This is my favourite clay whistle from my collection. It was also made in Filimonovo, but it looks like an animal instead of a person.

My friends told me it was a bear playing an accordion, but I’m not sure. The neck seems to be too long for a bear. What do you think it looks like？

Filimonovo toy-whistle. DUROM.2015.56

Filimonovo toy-whistle. DUROM.2015.56

Filimonovo toy-whistle. DUROM.2015.56

Strategy

Strategy games encourage people to think and find different ways to win. I find them fun because they always challenge me. I have several strategy games in my collection, including board games and card games. I even think that Karuta, Ganjifa and the Mongolian puzzles can be considered games of strategy as well as traditional games.​​

As I grew older, I found that strategy games aren’t just fun but also help me learn practical strategies applicable to my life. They are also a way to spend time with my loved ones. I learned how to play Mahjong from my older sibling Fei Fei!​

Senet in Egypt

Let's see what I found in Egypt - Senet!​

This was a popular board game in ancient Egypt. When you get all of the pieces off the board before your opponents, you win. It is similar to other racing games like snakes and ladders. The main difference is that you can block your opponents’ pieces in Senet, and there are special rules when it comes to getting the pieces to the end of the board. This makes the game a lot more fun and challenging! â€‹

There is a big Senet game in the Wolfson Gallery of Oriental Museum, where I played with my friends once. It was lovely. Bring your family and friends to the museum and experience how the ancient Egyptians played this game!

Wolfson Gallery, Oriental Museum

Wolfson Gallery, Oriental Museum

Different types of Egyptian game pieces. DUROM.U10585 (centre), DUROM.1953.40 (left), DUROM.EG4966 (right).

Different types of Egyptian game pieces. DUROM.U10585 (centre), DUROM.1953.40 (left), DUROM.EG4966 (right).

Pachisi in India

Pachisi has a rich history dating back over 1500 years, but the set I collected was made less than 100 years ago. It was influenced by a Korean board game called Nyout, which is still played in Korea today.​

The game needs four players. Each moves four pieces by rolling dice, aiming to move the counters to the centre of the game board. This is not an easy game, because other players' pieces can block your movements, just like in Senet. To win the game, you need to consider how your opponents will move. Hmm, the problem is, I’m not sure how to read people’s minds as a dragon. â€‹

Pachisi game. DUROM.2001.45

Pachisi game. DUROM.2001.45

Chess in India

In my journey throughout India, I also learnt more about one of the most famous strategy games in the world – Chess!​

Many people consider Indian Chess, or Chaturanga, the origin of modern international chess. The game is over a thousand years old. The board represents a battle between two armies and the different pieces are inspired by different divisions of the Indian army, including the infantry (pawns) and cavalry (knights). My favourite Chaturanga piece is the elephant!​

​

Indian chess. DUROM.2001.110

Indian chess. DUROM.2001.110

Indian chess pieces. DUROM.2001.110 Detail

Indian chess pieces. DUROM.2001.110 Detail

Mahjong in China

Let’s see my favourite strategy game from China, Mahjong.​​

Mahjong is a traditional tabletop game. The tiles can be made from wood, bamboo, jade and even ivory. You can also play Mahjong with cards instead of tiles.​

When you play Mahjong, you need to think about combinations of tiles,  other players‘ actions, and adapt to different rule variations. It is difficult at first but, the more I play the more confident I feel playing it.​
​

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Ivory mahjong. DUROM.2001.120

Ivory mahjong. DUROM.2001.120

Paper mahjong cards. DUROM.2001.98.1-43

Paper mahjong cards. DUROM.2001.98.1-43

Just for Fun

I have told you about several traditional toys and games from across the world but what about modern toys? Nowadays, we can see that toys and games have changed. For example, there are more plastic and electronic toys.

The popularity of some games has also become global. The Game Boy and Pokémon cards are known across the world. What hasn’t changed is that people play with toys and games because they are fun to play with. Let me show you some of the modern toys in my collection.​

Recently I have also started collecting dolls and figurines. In my last trip to Japan, I learnt about Hinamatsuri, or the festival that celebrates the growth and happiness of girls. Each family displays dolls representing the Emperor and Empress from February until 3 March. I saw traditional Hinamatsuri sets that were as tall as me! â€‹

This set has different Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty as the Empress and Dear Daniel as the Emperor. I love it because it reminds me of how toys change with time – Hinamatsuri is a traditional festival celebrated for hundreds of years but we can also celebrate it with modern dolls.  ​

Game Boy

Besides traditional toys and games, nowadays I can also play with digital games which are a whole new world of fun for me. One of my favourite game consoles is the Game Boy, created by Nintendo around thirty years ago. 

My friends introduced it to me and explained that it was a portal to endless adventures, all in the palm of my hand. As I switched it on, a world of games unfolded before me. I played Tetris, guiding the falling blocks into place, and embarked on a quest in Super Mario Land, jumping and dashing through vibrant worlds. I always bring my Game Boy on my journeys. It entertains and challenges me wherever I go.​

​

Game Boy. DUROM.2017.186

Game Boy. DUROM.2017.186

Pokémon cards

Pokémon cards are a new card game originating in Japan. Each card shows a unique creature with special powers, which you can collect and use to battle. My Japanese friends taught me how to play the game, and soon we were lost in a friendly battle, laughing and strategising together. It was a fun game that helped me connect with new friends in this strange, exciting land.​

Pokémon card game is also popular in my hometown. I heard that here in the UK people also love Pokémon cards. Have you played with them before?

Game Boy (centre), Pokémon cards (left), and Pokémon stickers (right). DUROM.2022.417-432 + 2022.433. 1-70 + DUROM.2017.186

Game Boy (centre), Pokémon cards (left), and Pokémon stickers (right). DUROM.2022.417-432 + 2022.433. 1-70 + DUROM.2017.186

Message from Tao Tao

A few years ago, my journey came to an end. Today, as I opened my toy box, I was hit with a flood of memories of all the wonderful toys and games I had collected when I was a young Loong. â€‹

During my journey, I had kept all the treasures I collected in this big cart. Looking back, I can remember all the wonderful stories I heard and the friends I made along the way.​ If you want to see more details of this cart, please click here.

Isn't it amazing how even though the world around us is constantly changing, our idea of play stays pretty much the same? From ancient Egypt to modern China, a beautiful connection can be seen when it comes to playing all around the world. The memories and stories may be different but the joy of playing never changes.​

My friends at the Oriental Museum are still taking care of my toys today – here you can see that this music box still works!​

If you want to learn more about toys and games, feel free to listen to their podcast!

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