She's A Real Nut Buster

A vintage wooden figural nutcracker with appeal for those with a sense of humor & love or risque collectibles:



The topless woman, with perky breasts, wears a short 'native' skirting which does not prevent her from opening her legs... Lift her leg, and you'll see the indentation in her thigh where one sets a nut -- then lower the leg, and CRACK, she busts that nut.



I know very little about these handcarved nutcrackers. I've heard several stories stating they date to the 1940's, and were purchased by military men overseas. I've seen several versions, with slight differences in the skirting and different facial features (some seem like Amazon women, others more Asian etc), it seems likely that they were made in more than one location. They certainly would appeal to men away from home, and their popularity would make for more than one port producing them.

While it's nice to know the stories behind items, in this case, the humor of the item is appealing enough for me to own at least one.

If you're looking for one, there's one for sale at Ruby Lane, and you can also check ebay, as they do come up for auction often enough to get a deal.