Wooden Nutcracker in Form of Violinist, 18th Century (VIOLIN) (CHRISTMAS)

[Violinist] Wooden Nutcracker in Form of Violinist, 18th Century Antique hand-carved screw-type nutcracker in the form of an expressive man in a skull cap and with long hair holding a violin, dating from the late 18th C. or earlier.  The present nutcracker remains functional, and works by inserting the nut into an opening in the man's back and rotating his upper body, causing a carved wooden screw mounted to his lower torso to press into the shell.  Substantial losses to base, lower half of the face, right hand, and left edge of the instrument, else good.  8 inches tall (20.3 cm.).Nutcrackers have existed in some form or another for milenia, with "excavations of early civilizations [revealing] nutshells that were probably broken by stones... Pitted stones used for cracking nuts have been found in various parts of the United States and Europe and have been dated back to the Archaic Period, 4,000 to 8,000 years ago... Lever nutcrackers [date back] to the 13th century," and "by the 15th and 16th century, wood carvers in France and England were creating beautiful wooden nutcrackers" similar to those found today.  "Screw nutcrackers [appeared in] the 17th century and at first these were simple in structure. However, it was not long before artisans were carving and shaping intricate designs... Standing wooden nutcrackers in the form of soldiers and kings [appeared in] Germany by 1800, and in 1830 the term 'Nussknacker' appeared in the dictionary of the Brothers Grimm... In 1872 Wilhelm Fuchtner, known as the father of the nutcracker, made the first commercial production." (The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum) Schubertiade Music & Arts LLC - BUY WITH CONFIDENCE! ***ALL AUTOGRAPHS GUARANTEED AUTHENTIC WITHOUT LIMIT*** I was the President of the Professional Autograph Dealers Association from 2013-2018 and a leading and trusted authenticator of autographs, including for many of the world's auction houses and for James Spence (JSA). Schubertiade Music & Arts are also members in good standing of ABAA/ILAB, the most exclusive consortium of Rare Book and Manuscript Dealers in the world, as well as the MLA (Music Librarian Association), and MARIAB (Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers). You can read more about us by searching for Schubertiade Music & Arts and may buy with utmost confidence! SCHUBERTIADE MUSIC & ARTS deals in Music, Entertainment, Literary and other Autographs, Antiquarian Music, Books, Prints, Photographs & Paintings and Ephemera. Please read more about us in our "about me" page by clicking next to our username / feedback listing. We issue seasonal and occasional catalogues - please contact us if you would like to receive notifications or let us know about your collection. Everything we offer is guaranteed authentic without limit and is so stated on the signed and detailed receipt which comes with every item. Because this Guarantee is attached to an actual and meaningful money-back guarantee (see our Terms for further details), this is much more significant than most COAs which are generally but worthless pieces of paper if not issued by recognized experts in the field and backed by a real authenticity return policy. We accept payment by ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS, Check, and by Paypal. Shipping Charges are as listed and are not subject to negotiation. We will of course be happy to combine shipments and do NOT charge multiple shipping charges except for large/heavy items which naturally affect the cost. We ship exclusively via insured FedEx and pride ourselves on our thorough and expert packaging.

Nutcrackers have existed in some form or another for milenia, with "excavations of early civilizations [revealing] nutshells that were probably broken by stones... Pitted stones uséd for cracking nuts have been found in various parts of the United States and Europe and have been dated back to the Archaic Period, 4,000 to 8,000 years ago... Lever nutcrackers [date back] to the 13th century," and "by the 15th and 16th century, wood carvers in France and England were creating beautiful wooden nutcrackers" similar to those found today.  "Screw nutcrackers [appeared in] the 17th century and at first these were simple in structure. However, it was not long before artisans were carving and shaping intricate designs... Standing wooden nutcrackers in the form of soldiers and kings [appeared in] Germany by 1800, and in 1830 the term 'Nussknacker' appeared in the dictionary of the Brothers Grimm... In 1872 Wilhelm Fuchtner, known as the father of the nutcracker, made the first commercial production." (The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum)