Nutcracker Museum

Bronze Hands with Gold Bracelet Nutcracker
(The Earliest Known Nutcracker)

In the Museo Nazionale Archeologico Di Taranto, known as MARTA, resides the earliest known nutcracker, a pair of bronze hands with gold bracelets.

The announcement in the case with the nutcracker reads:

"Bronze and gold nutcracker. Female forearms with pressed hands with internal hinge for real use. Below the wrist, spiraled gold lamina bracelets with terminals in the shape of serpent heads."

The nutcracker was discovered in a tomb and is dated by archeologists to be from the late 4th or early 3rd century BC. It has been described as one of the best examples of Tarantine Metalworking, which began as early as the 6th and 7th century BC.

In 580 BC Tarantine began the manufacture of bronzework, and most of the bronze statues found throughout Italy came from this area.

Tarentum, now known as Tarent or Taranto, was a Greek city in ancient southern Italy. It is located in the instep of the "boot of Italy".

Showcasing the Nutcracker Lady's Visit to Taranto...

After learning about this ancient nutcracker, visiting Taranto became number 1 on my "Bucket List" . Good friends Christa and Bernhard Crais from Germany wanted to see it too, so we planned a visit. Since Christa had worked in diplomatic service for the German Government, she worked through channels to arrange a meeting with Antonietta Dell'Aglio, the director of the Taranto museum, to inspect the famous nutcracker. I flew into Naples, and with my travel companion, Mary Barthel of Germany, drove to Taranto to meet with Christa and Bernhard.