Nutcracker

Nuts, due to their nutritional properties and taste, have been a valuable food for humans since ancient times. Initially, to crack the hard shells of nuts – too tough for human teeth to bite through – two grooved stones were used. Over time, tools specifically designed for this purpose called nutcrackers were created. Their operation is based on various mechanisms, most commonly lever or screw mechanisms. Throughout the centuries, nutcrackers have taken on different forms and have been made from various materials, primarily metal and wood, but today also from plastic. The most famous and recognisable nutcrackers are the wooden, brightly painted figurines that are popular Christmas decorations and collectible items. The "father" of these figures is considered to be the carpenter Wilhelm Friedrich Füchtner (1844–1923), who began large-scale production of them in the 1870s in his workshop in Seiffen, Saxony. Traditional figures were shaped like soldiers, angels, or miners. Today, the range of wooden nutcrackers has greatly expanded, and they now include characters from pop culture and politics. The ethnographic collection of the National Museum in Szczecin features a nutcracker in the shape of a squirrel. It is equipped with a lever mechanism that does not require much strength or skill to use. The nut is placed on the squirrel's paws, and by pressing down the tail, which acts as a lever, the nut is cracked as it is pressed against the squirrel's mouth. Although nutcrackers shaped like squirrels are still produced today, they are not as popular as those with simpler, more ergonomic designs. Agnieszka Słowińska