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Our Rifleman Guard Nutcracker Decorations are 10 inches tall. The Rifleman Guard Nutcrackers are wearing a tall, black velvet, hat with a domed top, gold braid and a white feather plume and a red plastic jewel in a gold setting in the center. The Rifleman Nutcracker Costume consists of a brick red, flock coat with blue plastic jewel buttons, gold glitter collar and gold ribbon and trim decorations on the front of the coat. The Rifleman Nutcracker has gold shoulder pads with gold braid eppelletts, gold cuffs, blue pants and black boots. The Rifleman Guard Nutcracker Decorations are holding a long black rifle with a gold scope and gold edging, at their right side. Select this link to view our wooden nutcracker toy soldiers.
Regimental Dress
The styles and decoration of military uniforms varied immensely with the status, image and funds of the military throughout the ages. Uniform dress became the norm with the adoption of regimental systems, initially by the French Army in the mid seventeenth century. Some Swedish infantry had been issued with standard coloured dress under Gustavus Adophus. However in the main the levies of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries wore civilian dress with scarves, pieces of foliage or other makeshift identification. Even Royal guards would only be issued with surcoats to wear over ordinary clothing.
During the Eighteenth Century
The normal military uniform comprised a standardized form of civilian dress (tricorn hat, long-skirted coat, waistcoat and breeches). One distinctively military feature was the long canvas gaiters which came up to mid-thigh and had multiple buttons. Dress was surprisingly standard between European armies in cut and general outline. The distinction normally lay in colours, red coats for the British and Danes, light grey then white for the French, Spanish and Austrian infantry, dark blue for the Prussians, green for the Russians etc. Within armies different regiments were usually distinguished by "facings" or turnbacks and braiding on coats in colours that were distinctive to one or several regiments. Thus the Royal Comtois Infantry Regiment of the French Army, for example, had large dark blue cuffs on its off-white coats.
Select this link to view our wooden nutcracker ornaments.
Nutcracker History
Nutcrackers originated in the 19th century in the eastern region of Germany. Life was hard and the people worked long hours as miners and endured hardships and poverty. Often the miners watched as the fruits of their labor were confiscated by their superiors. Nutcrackers were cleverly designed to resemble the authoritarian figures of kings, policemen, and soldiers. The townspeople enjoyed these caricatures of their rulers, since the nutcrackers were placed at their service to perform the lowly task of cracking nuts. No holiday table can be without a bowl of nuts and a handsome Nutcracker!
Nutcrackers were especially popular with Germans who coined the phrase, “Gott gibt die Nüsse aber knaker müss man sie selbst or God gives the nuts but we have to crack them ourselves”, which was intended to teach children that life was hard but rewarding. This phrase made the nutcracker a favorite toy, possibly because it enabled children to reach one of life’s rewards more easily. Select this link to view our Unique Christmas Ornaments.