Swiss Hand Carved Wooden Bear Head Nutcracker - Brienz Ca. 1920

A carved wooden nutcracker with a bear's head. This is a beautiful old wooden sculpture from the Black Forest with glass eyes. The nutcracker was executed in Brienz, Switzerland, circa 1920.

The tradition of woodcarving in Brienz goes back to the middle of the 19th century. Locals were looking for new job opportunities. They used their skills in traditional craftsmanship, carving everyday objects and sculptures, and created a new activity. Many woodcarvers were educated at the Brienz School of Woodcarving, founded in 1884. Around 1900, the woodcarving industry had about 2000 carvers. Brienz woodcarvings have been successfully presented at several world exhibitions. With Gran Tour Tourism, wealthy people from all over the world have visited the area and brought home memories of woodcarving. Today, some companies, like Huggler Holzbildhauerei, still exist and make traditional carvings.

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artfour is an owner-managed trading company that sells Black Forest wood carvings, antler furniture and an impressive variety of unique decorative items. Our antiques are on display in a century-old barn in southern Germany, which we renovated ourselves. Antiques have been our passion since the 1980s. We ship worldwide, perfectly packaged and with a money back guarantee. This allows us to be your preferred partner for the Black Forest and ancient art.