Museum: Caricature Nutcracker From The Gröden Valley, 18th Century, In Poor Condition

A particularly rare antique nutcracker, catalogued as dating from the 18th century, produced in the Alpine region on the Italian side of Alps, in Gröden Valley (Val Gardena, Dolomites).
Carved from cedar wood and originally painted with colors of Italy (red, white, and green), traces of the original polychromy remain visible in the recesses. The figure depicts a highly expressive caricatured character, identified as a Gailtal (Illyrian), a neighboring inhabitant from the Gail Valley.
The character wears a pointed green hat, a broad pink-painted face resting on a ruff collar, a short open jacket, and voluminous trousers, as shown in photographs.
Reference documentation: Gröden Valley Nutcrackers XVIII–XIX Century by Arnas Jurskis, whose research and photographs have greatly contributed to the study of these remarkable objects.
Dimensions: 19 × 8.5 × 4 cm.  Condition as found: Poor condition, as visible in photographs. The jaw mechanism remains functional and is in good working order. There is a crack requiring stabilization or repair, a loss to part of the trousers, and the original polychromy is extremely worn.