Their grandfather Valent Mikuš was the first one who started making wooden toys in what used to be rural house cooperatives and he passed his knowledge and love of handicraft on to his son and daughter-in-law Stjepan and Katarina who then took over the business. They, in turn, taught their children Pavica Mlinarić and Mladen Mikuš and grandson Tomislav Mlinarić, who runs craft Mikuš today, how to make children’s toys.
Photo: Luka Stanzl/PIXSELL
The Mikuš family has received numerous recognitions for their effort to preserve tradition. The City of Zagreb Crafts Association awarded them the “Platinum Craft” designation and they won the first prize “Vrijedne Ruke” awarded by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Crafts at the 54th annual craftsmanship fair. Pavica Mlinarić and Tomislav Mlinarić successfully cooperate with cultural institutions in Zagreb and Croatia, while they display and sell their toys at fairs and saint’s feasts thereby affirming the tradition of toy making.
The Mikuš family works with the Ethnographic Museum and they often organise toy making workshops in Zagreb’s kindergartens where they teach children about old traditional toys such as horses, carriages, tables, cabinets, dolls and tamburitza. Every toy is exclusively handmade, which is recognised by Croatian customers and those from the Far East. Having said that, the Croatian National Tourist Board bought their wooden toys to promote Croatia in Tokyo.
