Whatever you are thinking about this big guy, yeah, I had the same thoughts. This has to be the most German thing I have seen in a while. The long nose is actually the handle for the nutcracker. The artistic style is very much 1940s / 1950s although I am sure it is early post war. This particular flower pattern was popular from the 1930s-1960s and I most frequently see it on immediate post war (Notzeit) things made from war materials like kids toys and flower pots made from scrapped ordnance etc... He is in good condition. The feathers in his cap are damaged, but the rabbit fur hair is still fairly good. This is probably the most ridiculous nutcracker you will see anytime soon and he is probably at least 60 years old in my estimation. He might look mental, but I have seen enough 1930s German folk art to know he would be a very welcome site in any German bunker. This caricature long nose nut cracker does date back to at least the 1920s, but I am not exactly a folk art expert, I just picked up of hints through years of exposure.
Wooden kitsch like Räuchermännchen and nutcrackers are a very old German knick-knack tradition that dates back to around the mid 1800s, probably much much earlier. They originated in the Erzgebirge, but have spread throughout Germany and are now a staple of German Christmas markets. These were made in the same region where many WHW items were produced. This region was known for many crafts, mostly made from wood. Never compete with the Germans for cute doo-dads. All of the energy they save on humor goes into this field.
