Libuše Niklová

Czech national treasure and the world’s queen of toys. A world-renowned designer and innovator who created over 230 original toys, many of which were produced in many colour variations. She also created over a hundred decors for balls, rings, loungers and pools. Her unique accordion toys have been copied in at least 25 countries on at least 3 continents. Her legendary work is represented in the collections of museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Decorative Arts at the Louvre in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, and the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. In 2012, on the occasion of the Czech Grand Design Awards, she was the first female designer to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

1934 Birth
1949-1953 Study
1954 The beginning in Gumotex
1954 First toy
1958 Wedding
1960 Son Petr
1961 The beginning in Fatra
1963 First inflatable toy
1963 Accordions
1964 Professions
1965 Patent
1966 Tomcat
1966 Vernians
1968 Daughter Veronika
1971 Sitting toys
1973 Buffalo
1974 Giraffe
1981 Death
2010 Monograph
2010 First exhibition
2010 Exhibition in UPM
2011 Remanufacturing
2011 Louvre
2011 Galeries Lafayette
2012 Hall of Fame
2012 MoMA
2012 Remanufacturing
2013 Remanufacturing
2013 Remanufacturing
2013 Remanufacturing
2013-2014 MoMA
2014 Remanufacturing
2014 Remanufacturing
2019-2020 Japan
2020 Banknote
2020 Mascot
2020 Líba the tomcat
2022 Revealing exhibition
2022 Postage stamp

News

A lot of interesting things have happened in the last few years regarding Libuše Niklová and her work. In the next few years even more will happen…

Libuše Niklová’s work is increasingly admired and sought after by collectors and museums around the world. In our country, she has become an unshakable legend of design, whose work has amazed all generations. Her toys have been in production for almost 70 years. Her work is becoming a national treasure. And that’s why we’ve decided to preserve her legacy for future generations. We have the largest collection of Libuše Niklová’s work and we want her work to be admired publicly. So keep checking back regularly for information about interesting news, new exhibitions and other projects.

Top news

gejzir CT video cover
Libuše Niklová in the Gejzír programme on ČT
jak sel kocour do sveta napajedla ct2
Reportage about our show How a tomcat travelled the world in ČT
100plus1clanek
100+1 magazine published an article about Líba the tomcat
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Líba the tomcat at the Nostic Palace at the Open Day of the Ministry of Culture
Vlasta magazine published an article about Libuše Niklová and our exhibition

Current notable exhibitions

Dědičná Zvířena

Hřiště hraček - Playground of Toys

hriste hracek napajedla2

Retro Radosti

L’Avènement des plastiques

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What is coming...

We are planning several very interesting projects in the coming years.

Exhibitions

Traveling exhibitions in museums and galleries in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Books

Children’s books, specialist books, but also photo books.

Museum

The museum aims to preserve the legacy of Libuše Niklová for future generations.

Complete collection

Completion of Libuše Niklová’s work and its preservation for future generations.

air sculptures

Creations

Beautiful shapes, colors, decors and interesting sounds. Different materials and functions. She elevated toy design to art.

She created over 230 original toys, many of which came in several colour variations, such as rubber figurines, animals with accordion torsos or inflatable toys. Some have become iconic, such as the accordion Cat. In the course of her career, she was awarded patents for nine inventions and three national industrial designs. Her work won many awards in its time and is now considered modern art and is admired worldwide. Her toys have been copied in at least 25 countries on both the eastern and western sides of the Iron Curtain, which is hugely unique.

gumotex 1954-1964
Rubber squeaky toys
Fatra 1963-1967
Accordion and Vernian toys
fatra 1963-1981
Inflatable toys

Czech design icons

Líba the Tomcat

Haukola the Buffalo

When designing the individual animals, I took into account above all that the child would have the opportunity to play with the toy as creatively as possible. As the animals are flexible, the child can imitate crawling, stretching, and meowing as he observes in nature, as if he were playing a theater with puppets, unlike other toys that move either on friction or a wind-up system, where the child is only a passive observer."
Libuše Niklová, 1964

Partners

Partners and sponsors of our public projects.

Media presence

TV stations, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, and websites where Libuše Niklová and her toys appeared.