Libuše Niklová: The queen of Czech rubber toys
How it all began...
Libuše Niklová lived between 1934-1981. She has discovered her talent during her studies at Zdenek Nejedlý Art School in Zlín and she has directed her artistic career towards product design and toys in particular. These were and are fascinating, luxurious and unique. She got her first job at Gumotex, where she focused on making small rubber squeaking toys. Her inspiration was the world of fauna, the circus, and children themselves. It is beautiful to create for children with children.
The star of Fatra
She joined in 1961 and until the end of her life she held the position of toy designer.
She was touched by the playfulness, good nature and incredibly strong imagination of the child's mind. Therefore, she proposed completely unconventional toys designed to the smallest detail. She decorated her objects with great care and careful attention. She even devoted time to packing the toy itself. PVC and polyethylene got a completely new meaning. She also worked on improving blow mold technology for blown PVC. During her work she had 9 inventions patented, as well as 3 national industrial designs.
Luxury toys in the atmosphere of the 1960s
The cat, the buffalo, the floating ring are far from political bustle. They were created as a "funny salary" for children's hands, for play and fun. The toys are ready for every trip, the animals wait for their fences, the floating ring for good weather or an open swimming pool. The star is the well-known harmonica black cat, whose price in auction houses is around 5,000.
The colorful world of plastic toys
The material is washable, the toy storable thanks to the possibility of re-inflating. For the smallest children there is the inflatable Micinka, Sluníčko, Punťa. For bigger children, where the parallel game develops in cooperation, there are luxurious domestic and exotic pets.
A tribute to her mother
Paid by her son Petr Nikl, also a renowned artist, in a remarkable work called Blowmaking Stories. It was he whom Libuše Niklová "tested" her toys on.
