I collect NUTCRACKERS.....
Wikipedia ~ definition...
Nutcracker dolls originate from late-17th century Germany, particularly the Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge) region.[1] One origin story attributes the creation of the first nutcracker doll to a craftsman from Seiffen.[2] They were often given as gifts, and at some point they became associated with Christmas season. They grew in popularity around the 19th century and spread to nearby European countries.[1] As the demand grew, nutcracker doll production also began on a mass scale in factories.[1] Friedrich Wilhelm Füchtner (1844–1923), commonly known in Germany as "father of the nutcracker", began the first mass production of the design (using a lathe) at his workshop in Seiffen in Saxony during 1872.[5][6][7][8]
Decorative nutcracker dolls began being popularized outside of Europe after the Second World War, when numerous American soldiers stationed in Germany came home to the United States with German nutcrackers as souvenirs.[1][2] Further popularization came from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, a ballet adaptation of E. T. A. Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, which featured a toy soldier nutcracker.[1] The ballet, introduced to America during the mid-20th century, became a favorite holiday tradition across the United States[1] and helped make nutcracker dolls a Christmas decoration and a seasonal icon across Western culture.[2][1]
“Don’t be afraid, my beard is long, my head is large, my look is grim but that matters not. I won’t bite you. In spite of my big mouth and grim appearance, I look with my heart for your happiness.”
•Nutcrackers embody the ‘Cycle of Life', As the seed of a nut falls to the ground, it grows into a strong tree, living over hundreds of years nourishing the woodcutters and woodcrafters. The legends tell of a feast celebrated just before harvesting the logs of the Elder trees, where nuts and fruits were eaten as if to pass on the magic and mystery of this eternal cycle . . . and so on to the collectors of these exquisite wooden nutcrackers.
•Nutcrackers reflect ancestral dining customs where amusing or unusual nutcrackers were part of the social setting adding a whimsical conversation piece as guests lingered over the desert course which included sweetmeats such as pecans and hazelnuts.
