🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Carved wood Nutcracker. How old you think & where from?

[tamrock]

I picked this up today for under five bucks at my local one mans trash might be this mans treasure thrift shop. Looking on ebay I see similar ones saying they are Black Forest carvings, with this one having a tigars 🐅 head??. They also are listening them as being made in the 19th c. Ebay does have a fair amount of listening and completed sales of these similar type carved wood nutcrackers that have sold over the hundred dollar range. This one is missing a peg that keeps it together. It seems there is a collector base for these type of carved vintage wooden nutcrackers

 

[Retired Sarge]

Trying to decide if it's a tiger's head or a wolf's head. With possible Black Forest connections I'd lean towards wolf.

 

[opalboy]

Awesome find!

 

[tamrock]

Trying to decide if it's a tiger's head or a wolf's head. With possible Black Forest connections I'd lean towards wolf.

I thought wolf also because that would be a animal from the region of the black forest. With it being a tigar I thought it's maybe from India. I did find other examples that are similar in the handles and have different depictions of animals. With that it leaves me unsure what animal it's really supposed to be. Still I'm thinking tigar because of the wide short face.

 

[Blackfoot58]

The ears and whiskers look feline to me, but it does have a wolf appearance to it too. Neat piece.

 

[tamrock]

The ears and whiskers look feline to me, but it does have a wolf appearance to it too. Neat piece.

Cat is what I was leaning towards. Then this dog came to mind. The Karelian Bear Dog. Could it maybe be that which the carver was attempting to portray?

 

[Blackfoot58]

Cat is what I was leaning towards. Then this dog came to mind. The Karelian Bear Dog. Could it maybe be that which the carver was attempting to portray?

That looks close.

 

[PikesPeakCharlie]

Tam, what a great piece !!! Love it. Congrats !!! Looks like black forest to me also.

 

[ToddsPoint]

The Black Forest extends from Germany into Switzerland. A lot of the Black Forest wood carvings are Swiss.

 

[Almy]

What I can see of the wood suggests beech. That would be consistent with European origin.

 

[tamrock]

Tam, what a great piece !!! Love it. Congrats !!! Looks like black forest to me also.

Your good a carver yourself, Charlie.

 

[tamrock]

The Black Forest extends from Germany into Switzerland. A lot of the Black Forest wood carvings are Swiss.

Many other examples like this one are listed as Swiss made. I wonder how old it might be? It's really hard to determine from the look of it.

 

[russau]

Good eye ! I would have grabbed it myself if it were me!

 

[PikesPeakCharlie]

Your good a carver yourself, Charlie.

Thanks for the compliment Tam !

 

[Gare]

Nice purchase I vote wolf head A tigers hair is far smoother

 

[Gare]

Google Search

 

[tamrock]

That dog image you posted does look similar Gare. I to thought it might be a particular dog breed.