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.

Satan's Angel: The Devil's Own Mistress

Satan's Angel The Devil's Own Mistress, was a legend on the strip club circuit from 1964 to 1984. Her signature dance: setting fire to the tassels on her breasts, butt, and navel and twirling faster and faster until her spinning created enough wind to blow out the flames. To this day, no one has repeated this act.

Some may be surprised to know that not unlike many burlesque dancers, the woman inspiring nocturnal dreams anemissionsns of many men, was, and is, lesbian. Which is not to say that she didn't have her share of sugar daddies, and male lovers -- so I suppose some would prefer the 'bi' label.

According to this recent interview, Satan's Angel was 'out' early:

"When I was a little grasshopper. I always knew I was lesbian, but life and peer pressure made it very hard to be gay. But I was a ballsy broad - you think I cared if nobody liked it? Hell no! And I was brazen and very open about it. To the point where I lost many a job because I was a lesbian... hurt me financially too! But I would picket the clubs, talk to the press, bad rap them (clubs) when I was on the road... I did everything in my power to try and change their point of view. I figured, hey I did my job, my personal life was my own. I helped to pave the way for the gltb world. And you want to know something ironic? I have been in a bazillion magazines.... but I have yet to be in a gay one! Sure, I write them emails and letters, saying why not interview me, and I have never ever received a response yet!"

The end of Satan's Angel's career coincided with the emergence of video porn -- no longer was public tease of much interest as graphic films could be viewed privately in one's own home. But it was a fun ride while it lasted.

The angel is still alive and working on her biography. Fans of Ms Angel and burlesque itself can read her own regular column while waiting for her book.

Fans & collectors can buy costumes, photos etc from her online store, as well as from her Angels Desert Oasis, her ebay store.