Largest collection of nutcrackers

The largest collection of nutcrackers is 10,000 and was achieved by Arnas Jurskis (Lithuania), in Vilnius, Lithuania, as confirmed on 23 July 2021.

“A nutcracker is a surprising item in many ways – it’s functionality, versatility and in many cases beauty, was very intriguing when I first came across such an object. It is an object that can feed you in more ways than one – literally, by helping you obtain the nutritious nut, hidden in a hard shell and metaphorically, as an art object which gives you aesthetic pleasure and joy.”

Arnas has been collecting nutcrackers for many years. The first nutcracker he got was a gift from a work colleague and was in shape of a squirrel. This gift sparked his interest in learning more about nutcrackers, the variations in style caused him to collect more.

His favourites are the XVI-XVII century French wooden nutcrackers, that are adorned with crowns, coats of arms and covered in fleur-de-lys patterns. The nutcrackers display intricate carving, delicate shapes and the patterns which were used both in architecture and decorative arts during the period they come from.

Despite this it is a XVI century nutcracker in a shape of a warrior, stood on a round plinth, which means the most to him. The handle displays the date 1572 meaning it can be accurately placed in history.

“It does give a collector some pride to secure such a brilliant one-of-a-kind object, which is not only beautiful to look at, but also historically significant. It is an example of the way of life in the XVI century, it gives a glimpse into historical context but also human psyche, what people liked and aspired to in the past. It is a nice little bridge to the past.”

Nutcrackers have become a way of life for Arnas now. Whether it is looking at nutcrackers online, exchanging information with friends and family or seeking out new available information, there is no escaping from them.

While Arnas is quite happy to mark his collection complete at 10,000 he would still find it fascinating to own an example of one the oldest known nutcrackers. While, technically, the oldest known nutcrackers stones used to crack the nuts, he is referring to nutcrackers the “bronze hands” which date to 3rd or 4th centuries B.C. and are currently displayed at Archaeological Museum of Taranto, Italy.

“This particular nutcracker displays a high level of artistry. So, in turn, it would be extremely exciting to own an oldest known nutcracker which would be a decorative piece of art rather than just only a functional tool.”

There is one question that remains however. Having collected 10,000 nutcrackers over all of these years and allowing them to takeover his life, does he actually like nuts?

“I absolutely like nuts, my favourite kind are cashew nuts.”