Nutcracker
History by
Martha Rogers
I’ve been fascinated
with nutcrackers and the story behind the ballet since I first heard the music
many years ago. I decided to find out more about these beautiful Christmas decorations,
and learned some interesting facts.
Before the beautiful
nutcrackers were created by wood carvers in France and England, they were
simple tools consisting of two pieces of wood fastened by a leather strap or
metal hinge. Nuts were a common item in Europe, and by the 15th
century, the nutcracker became an elaborate tool carved by great woodcrafters.
These early crafters
used wood from around their locality, but boxwood was the wood of choice
because of its grain and color. Many of these early
carved nutcrackers can be
seen on display at the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum in Washington. Here is a picture of the more unusual ones.
By the 18th and
19th centuries, craftsmen in Austria, Switzerland, and northern Italy
were carving nutcrackers in the likenesses of animals and humans.
In German folklore,
stories can be found telling how nutcrackers were given as keepsakes to bring
good luck to the family and protect the home. Legend says that nutcrackers
guard the home from evil spirits and serve as a messenger of good luck and
goodwill.
This is the saying
surrounding the legend of the nutcracker:
“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 were thought
to embody the “Cycle of Life” because as the seed of a nut fell to the ground,
it rooted and grew into a strong tree producing more nuts and provided wood for
the craftsmen. They held a feast celebrated just before harvesting the logs of
the Elder trees. At the feast they ate the nuts as if to pass on the magic of
the eternal cycle.
Nutcrackers also reflect
ancestral dining customs and were carved into whimsical shapes to become part of
the social setting and provide conversation pieces for guests as they lingered
over dessert.
E.T. Amadeus Hoffman
wrote a novel, The Nutcracker and the
King of Mice, sometime between 1776 and 1822. Tchaikovsky took the story,
set it to music in the magnificent Nutcracker Suite. The ballet with the music
debuted in St. Petersburg in 1892 and has become a Christmas tradition around
the world.
A family of artisans,
the Steinbach family, has
produced fine wood products for over two centuries.
Five generations have kept the business nutcracker carving and manufacutre going with the sixth generation being
trained even now. The factory is now located at Hohenhameln in northern
Germany. On the right is an example of a Steinbach creation. This one costs over $200.
They were the first to
come up with the development of the limited edition nutcracker fashioned after
King Ludwig II. The response was overwhelming and contributed to the
collectability of the nutcrackers and increased their value.
Nutcrackers finally made
their way to America in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s after service men
stationed in Germany found them and brought them home. A passion ignited for
these wonderful creations as the ballet captured the imagination of people and
sparked a desire to collect the nutcrackers we know in the costume of soldiers and kings of earlier centuries.
Nutcrackers in the form
of soldiers and kings first appeared in German in the late 1700’s and early
1800’s. In 1872, Wilhelm Fuchtner made the first commercial production of
nutcrackers using the same design for many different figures. The Leavenworth
Nutcracker Museum displays an 1880 miner of Fuchtner along with miners made in
today’s Fuchtner family workshops.
Today, soldier and king
nutcrackers are manufactured in Germany to meet the high demands
of collectors.
These are expensive, authentic nutcrackers and can be purchased only from the
company or from stores which feature nutcrackers by these German crafters.
My own collection of nutcrackers began with one I purchased in Oberammergau in 1994. Here's a picture from the store there. I fell in love with this place.
My own collection of nutcrackers began with one I purchased in Oberammergau in 1994. Here's a picture from the store there. I fell in love with this place.
Nutcracker reproductions
can be found anywhere at Christmas time in many sizes and designs. When compared
side by side, the craftsmanship of the authentic nutcrackers is evident. That
doesn’t keep us from collecting nutcrackers from stores all over our country.
Nutcrackers based on the characters from the ballet are popular and sold at the productions. Here are Clara, her uncle, the Mouse King, the Nutcracker and one of the soldiers.
I have two nutcrackers from
Germany, but the others have been purchased at the Nutcracker Ballet Christmas Market
and other stores at Christmas time.
The museum at
Leavenworth, Washington is a place worth visiting if you are in the area. Below
are links to the museum and to information about the Steinbach family.
https://www.christmas-treasures.com/contact_us.htm
Steinbach link
I'm giving away a copy of my Christmas book, Christmas at Stoney Creek.Answer one of these questions and be entered. (Sorry, US readers only) Please be sure to include your email address with your comment.
Have you ever seen The Nutcracker ballet?
Nutcrackers are a collector item. Do you have any special Christmas collections?
Martha Rogers is a free-lance writer and
multi-published author from Realms Fiction of Charisma Media and Winged
Publications. She is a member of ACFW and writes the weekly Verse of the Week
for the ACFW Loop. She is a retired teacher and lives in Houston with her
husband, Rex.
www.marthawrogers.com
