A Groden

A Groden

Mar 26

 

I’ve been posting a lot of Anri Nutcrackers lately so I figured a recent Groden repair would fit right in.

 

Grodens and Anris are kind of related. The Groden valley of Italy produced nutcrackers as far back as the 1700s and may have been a contributing factor to the famous nutcracker production firm called Anri to be established by the Italian artisan, Anton Riffeser in the 1920s in northern Italy.

 

The Groden nutcrackers pre-date the Anris. They are very rare and highly sought after by collectors.

 

I’ve been very fortunate to have had a few of these very rare pieces come through my shop over the years. Grodens are prone to having base and feet problems. The wood grain runs vertical throughout the piece which causes these areas to be weak.

 

The piece that came into the shop was no exception:

 

 

 

Here you can see I’ve added a new base, feet, and carved a new lever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is as far as I’m going on this piece, the customer is going to paint and finish it.

 

I’m hoping they send me pictures once its done!

 

Anri Chef

Anri Chef

Mar 23

 

Here’s a great example of an Anri Chef nutcracker.

This one came in with a couple chunks missing from the chef’s hat.

 

Here’s a picture of it in process of being repaired:

 

 

Here are some photos after the repairs:

 

 

This piece had a very unique patina that was a challenge to replicate. As you can see by the following photo, it came out perfect.

 

 

The shop has been really busy so stay tuned for more posts coming soon!

 

—– Brandon

 

Really Old Anri

Really Old Anri

Mar 19

 

Here’s another great piece from the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum.

 

It came in with the jaw pushed in and an old repair on the handle that needed blended in.

 

Here’s a picture of the piece when it came in:

 

 

Here’s a close up of the jaw and handle before the repairs:

 

 

 

Here are pictures of the piece after the jaw was fitted with a new pin and the handle repair blended in better:

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of those pieces that you have to know where to stop with the restoration.

 

The wear and tear I’m leaving alone is this piece’s signature of authenticity. It’s from many years of being used and shouldn’t be fixed. It’s undeniable proof of its age.

 

The piece came out great, and I am looking forward to getting this piece back to the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum soon so it can go on display for many to enjoy.

 

—–Brandon

Anri Cat

Anri Cat

Mar 13

 

Here’s a great piece from the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum.

 

It’s an Anri cat that was in need of a new pin and a paint refresh.

 

Here’s a couple before photos:

 

 

 

Here’s how the Anri Cat nutcracker looks now:

 

 

 

 

 

This is a very rare piece and it came out great.

 

Stay tuned, many more pieces to come!

 

—–Brandon

Anri Nutcrackers!

Anri Nutcrackers!

Mar 09

 

Got a big box from Arlene Wagner from the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum.

 

It’s chock full of Anri nutcrackers in need of repair.  Nine to be exact, Awesome!

 

 

Stay tuned for updates as I cover each one in more detail as I repair them and get them ready to be sent back to Arlene at the museum to be put on display for visitors to enjoy!

 

—– Brandon