Nutcracker Museum
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3rd Quarter Newsletter 2023
for the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum
Study continues for our Nutcracker Lady II and we have been learning more and more about the antique metal nutcrackers shown in the museum. First we had to research the many metals used and their composition. Then we had to learn whether the metals were hand wrought with blacksmiths hammering metal into the desired form, or if molten metal was being poured into molds. Then just like the early wooden nutcrackers, designs changed with the centuries. This is our report………
EARLY METAL NUTCRACKERS
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Much history can be found about man’s quest to create an instrument to retrieve the delicious kernel from inside the hard shell of a nut! The first nutcrackers were called ‘nut tongs’ or ‘nutbreakers‘, and they were made of bronze or hand wrought iron. The oldest nutcracker known is one made of bronze that can be seen in the Museo Archaeologico Nationale in Taranto, Italy. It is dated 500 B.C. and is fashioned as a pair of hands with gold bracelets. It is believed to have been made by Greek people who had moved into Italy. |
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The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum displays a rare Roman bronze artifact discovered in 1960 after being buried for over 1800 years. It was found in the remains of a Roman villa between Rome and Naples. Archeologists date it between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. and believe one of its uses was to open the hard shell of a nut. Bronze, an alloy of copper and iron, had been known since 2000 B.C. |
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These two ancient bronze nutcrackers displayed in the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum are from the 12th or 13th centuries. They are Flemish and believed to have been made by the same person, although one was found buried in Romania. From items found with it, archeologists determined that the nutcracker must have been dropped by Pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. |
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This is a copy of a German 13th century nutcracker which was the basis for many designs that followed. This copy was made of bronze, but the original was hand forged iron. Iron was not commonly used for tools, etc. until 2000 B.C. because it took complicated technology to produce. It should be noted too that wrought iron is softer than cast iron which becomes brittle with heating. |
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This 14th century bronze nutcracker, though made in Germany, was found in England when gardeners at the Warwick Castle were digging up roots of a tree 500-600 years old. Handles of the nutcracker were broken and had to be repaired. Note the use of dogs in this design also. |
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These two 14th/15th century nutcrackers are from France and one is the oldest nutcracker in the museum to show an alligator design. The beauty of the bronze metal is on full display in these hand wrought nutcrackers that elegantly stand out in the metal display. While bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. |
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This exquisite bronze nutcracker was recently received at the museum. It follows the last two in time, plainly showing increased perfection in design and workmanship. Although it is missing one of the birds, it is a valuable and rare addition to the museum display of antique metal nutcrackers, one of the best in the United States. |
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These two 16th century iron nutcrackers of geometric design are from France and measure only 4.75 and 5 inches. They would crack the cob nut, a wild version of the hazel or filbert nut. This nut was first named Philibert, after a French Monk named St. Philibert whose feast date is August 22, just at the time the nuts ripened. This name was eventually shortened to ‘filbert’. The names of hazel nut and filbert are interchangeable, dependent on where you live; filbert in England and usually hazel nut in the United States. |
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The last photo is one that introduces the era of brass. It shows 17th century cast iron nutcrackers trimmed with malleable brass. They are from France and measure 6 inches in length. Each is designed for both small and large nuts resulting in a very useful household tool. However, it was not in France, but Birmingham, England that became the brass capitol in the 18th and 19th centuries, making many nutcracker designs of molded brass. We will learn about this in the next newsletter. |
Arlene Wagner, The Nutcracker Lady
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Quick Links
Dogs that are able to be carried at all times may come into the museum.
Service animals are
always welcome.
Contact Us
735 Front Street
P.O. Box 2212
Leavenworth, WA 98826
(509) 548-4573
MUSEUM HOURS
11:00PM - 5:00PM Daily
We suggest visitors arrive at the museum at least 30 minutes before closing.
Nutcracker Museum Mission Statement:
"To foster and encourage the interest of the general public of the importance of nuts in the diets of humans throughout history and in the evolution of the nutcracker. No other tool or collectible has shown such a wide diversity of material and design as the implements used to crack the hard shell of a nut".
Museum Admission:
Adults - $5.00 (Ages 17 - 64yrs)
Seniors - $3.50
(Age 65yrs +)
Youth - $2.00 (Ages 6 - 16yrs)
Child - FREE (Ages 0 - 5yrs)
Active
Military - FREE (Spouse & Children Free with ID)
