About the Nutcracker Collection

As the world’s largest nutcracker collection, it boasts an impressive number of 15 000 items. The origin of the collection goes all the way back to the year 2001, when Arnas Jurskis, the owner of the collection, was gifted his first nutcracker.

Collection Highlights

Visit this gallery to view collection highlights. This is only a fragment of our extensive nutcracker collection. If you would like to see more, you will be able to experience the size and uniqueness of the collection when our museum opens its doors.

Additions to the collection come from far and wide, namely five continents or 47 different countries. The collection has many highlights, but the most important ones are its oldest items. The range of materials these items are made of is very varied and consists of silver, brass, iron, steel, wood, porcelain and even ivory. But the material is not the only curious point about these items, the principle of the nut cracking mechanism is just as fascinating. There are quite a few types of these nutcrackers, the more common ones being lever, screw, percussion or pliers’ kind.

The collection encompasses the items that span over five centuries and thus have high artistic and historic value. These objects tell us the story of social and cultural change as well as culinary habits of the people in the past. The nutcracker itself is a curious device that can narrate a rich history to all kinds of researchers from cultural anthropologists to culinary or art historians.

The acquisition is under constant expansion with nutcrackers arriving from antique shops, markets and auction houses, both local and foreign. And due to the aforementioned reason, we are always looking to secure new pieces. If you would like to help us expand our collection by donating or selling us your items, please contact us.

Wooden screw nutcrackers LATE 19TH – EARLY 20TH C.