3rd Quarter Newsletter 2021

for the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum

When guests walk through the museum the brightly colored wooden nutcrackers attracts their attention first, along with the exquisitely carved wooden antiques.  But upon looking more closely, there are metal nutcrackers that are spectacular in their own right although they sit or hang quietly waiting to be noticed. 

RARE LADY FROM FRANCE….Yes, it is a man’s world when it comes to nutcrackers but sometimes a female figure will appear.  This tiny iron lady is from the late 15^th or early 16^th century and measures only 5 inches.

INCA COUPLE…This silver plated bronze lever nutcracker is from Argentina and shows a girl in Inca dress on one side and a man on the other.  The Inca Empire extended 2500 miles from Ecuador to southern Chile before its destruction at the hands of the Spanish Conquistadors beginning in 1532.

THE TOUGH NUT….This percussion nutcracker first appeared in England in1897. Usually we find it in cast iron but the earlier ones, like this one, were made of brass.  Birmingham was the center of brass production in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

3 SQUIRRELS…This lever nutcracker designed for table use, is fascinating with its exquisite detail including 3 different squirrels in its design.  It is from Germany, about 1900, and is made of silver plated brass

SCREW CAGE…This cage screw nutcracker was made in France in the 17^th Century.  It is made of gun metal and is similar to the nutcrackers shown in the Le Secq des Tournelles Museum in Rouen. 

STERLING SILVER…These luxurious utensils match the handles of traditional sterling silverware to a cracking mechanism of stainless steel.  They were made in the United States in the late 20^th century.

ELEGANT BETEL CUTTER…This Royal couple was crafted in India in the 19^th century.  It is made of brass with the traditional iron blade.  Both figures don painstaking detailed garments and exquisite pieces of jewelry. 

Arlene Wagner, The Nutcracker Lady Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum Email: curator@nutcrackermuseum.com