German Smoker Manufacturer: Seiffener Volkskunst eG - Christian Ulbricht
Country of Origin: Germany
German Smoker Type: Jolly Santa
German Smoker Dimensions: 5 inches high

Detailed Description: This German smoker comes from the renowned studio of Dregano in Seiffen, Germany. This unique piece of German folk art is hand assembled and stained in Germany by skilled trades people. This German smoker is a Jolly Santa.

About German Smokers, Smoking Men or Erzgebirge Smokers:

German Smokers German Smokers, or smoking men, and the smell of incense cones belong to the Erzgebirgian Christmas just like the German nutcracker. An important component in the development for the German Smokers was the use of Frankincense (Weihrauch) in the Christmas tradition/ Frankincense was next to gold and Myrrh one of the three presents the three holy kings brought to the Baby Jesus. It is estimated that the production of smoking cones, now used in German Smokers, started around 1750 in the village of Crottendorf in the Erzgebirge. The Heilig-Ohmd-Lied accounts of the usage of smoking cones around 1830, although the cones were not yet placed inside of a figurine but burned on a small tray.

Throughout the nineteenth century, public smoking was a widespread habit that made the sight of a man with a pipe in his mouth a common one. This is believed to have been the inspiration for the creation of the first German smoker. The origins of German Smokers believed to date back to 1856/57 in Heidelberg - which today is a part of the town of Seiffen. The German Smokers, or smoking men, were made the same way as the nutcrackers, although German Smokers consists of two parts that are put on top of each other. On the lower part the smoking cone is placed on a little tin circle, the upper part works as the smoking kettle. Unlike the nutcrackers, that traditionally represent officers and other officials, the German craftsmen chose everyday people as models for their German smokers. Favorites themes for German Smokers are miners, shepherds, chimney sweepers and other traditional German occupations.