The Soldier is about 5½ inches tall. He is wearing a tall red hat with gold glitter tassels and gold brim, bright olive green jacket with red sleeves, gold belt and gold glitter trim. His pants are red with gold cuffs and his boots are dark brown. He is holding a gold rifle at his side. This ornament was made in Germany by Krebs Glas. Select this link to view our Other Glass Blown Ornaments.
The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker story was written in 1816 by the German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. It was a rather grim tale of an unhappy girl named Marie whose only love is a nutcracker doll. In 1845 the famed French novelist Alexandre Dumas, who made it more suitable for children, adapted the story. In 1891 this version was chosen as the basis of the Russian ballet scored by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Marius Petitpa and Lev Ivanov. Select this link to view our Nutcracker Ornaments.
The Nutcracker Suite opened in St. Petersburg on December 17, 1892. The original production was not a success. Though popular in Russia,it was never staged outside of that country until 1934, when a setting appeared in London. Since then numerous versions of the dance, long and short, have been attempted, with the most successful being that by George Balanchine in 1954. It is probably the world’s favorite ballet, being seen by millions each year,
during the Christmas season. Select this link to view our Ornament Sets.
The ballet’s popularity has stimulated an interest in the collection of nutcrackers. Though many types of metal and wood nutcrackers were made through the centuries, the commercial production of the popular wooden toy nutcracker dates only from the 1870’s in Germany. The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum in Washington State exhibits over 3,000 of these implements from around the world. Select this link to view our Miniature Ornaments.
Nuts.
Nuts are a symbol of fruitfulness associated with midwinter festivals. The Romans believed each type of nut to be possessed of a special virtue, almonds were an antidote to drunkenness, walnuts counteracted poisons, hazelnuts prevented famine. Select this link to view our Old World Father Christmas Ornaments.