From time to time we will add a page showing some of the latest acquisitions for the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum.  It is always exciting to find a rare and unusual item, and we are constantly reminded of man’s ingenuity!!! 

Introducing Mr. FiveOne…

Here is Mr. FiveOne, a creation of Gunter Werner Goetz of Germany…a nutcracker measuring only 5.1 mm!  And it does open it’s mouth!!!  No, it is not the smallest nutcracker in the world, for Herr Goetz made one for the Nussknacker Museum in Neuhausen, Germany measuring only 5 mm.  When we asked if he would make one for the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, it was agreed by all parties that the German museum should have the smallest working nutcracker in the world, and therefore, ours would be a tiny bit bigger.  

 Herr Goetz has also carved an angel, listed in the 2000 edition of the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest in the world.  He has generously offered it to the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum to be shown with Mr. FiveOne. We will announce the arrival of this fabulous piece!!! 

Another Small Item You Will Appreciate…

Here is a charming 17^th century boxwood nutcracker believed to be carved in England.  Notice the beautiful carving on the handle.  These small nutcrackers were used to crack cob nuts, a relative of the filbert or hazelnut.  Nuts were much smaller before being grown commercially in recent years.   

A Bear On A Sled???

I couldn’t believe my ears, when I received a call from Europe saying that a nutcracker in the form of a bear on a sled had come on the market!  After several “on a what did you say?” I had to acknowledge that I heard right in the first place!   And isn’t it a beautifully carved piece?  Age is unknown, but probably late 19^th or early 20^th century.  You will enjoy seeing this delightfully humorous piece! 

Metal Work Of Art…

This nutcracker of iron and brass is from the 16^th century.  Again, it has a small cracking area for the smaller cob nuts.  This nutcracker is comparable to those seen in the ironworks museum in Rouan, France.  That museum is very interesting, showing ironworks from the 2^nd to the 18^th centuries.  If you are traveling to Europe, we highly recommend a stop.