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an old children ' s book with a picture of a man and a woman sitting on a bench
Jeschke Jádi Auctions Berlin

1356 - Hoffmann, Heinrich
See original version (German)

Estimate €200 - €300
Sale commission
Description
Hoffmann, Heinrich King Nutcracker and Poor Reinhold. A children’s fairy tale in pictures. Frankfurt am Main, Literarische Anstalt, Rütten & Loening, printed by G. Otto in Darmstadt. (After 1859). 32 pp., small 4° half-leather of the period (somewhat rubbed and scuffed). An early edition of a Christmas picture book modelled on *Struwwelpeter*. The story is about Reinhold, a sickly boy from a poor background, whose longing for the Christmas festivities and a nutcracker transforms into a fantastical dream world: King Nutcracker comes to life, leads him into the realm of toys and ultimately provides a happy counterpoint to poverty, illness and deprivation. Published in 1851, this illustrated fairy tale is one of Hoffmann’s most important later children’s books and combines social compassion with humorous imagination and the interplay of verse narrative and illustration that is characteristic of the author. Of particular appeal are Hoffmann’s own hand-drawn illustrations, which in the first edition also include a depiction of the Frankfurt Christmas market. The cast of characters draws on the wooden nutcrackers of the Ore Mountains, which, according to tradition, Hoffmann acquired as models at the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt; making the book one of the earliest literary manifestations of the animated nutcracker motif in German children’s literature. – The top third of the final page is detached. Slightly stained and browned. – Beautifully coloured illustrations. An early edition of a Christmas picture book inspired by *Struwwelpeter*. The story is about Reinhold, a sickly boy from a poor family, whose longing for the Christmas celebrations and a nutcracker transforms into a fantastical dream world: King Nutcracker comes to life, leads him into the realm of toys, and ultimately offers a happy contrast to poverty, illness and deprivation. Published in 1851, this illustrated fairy tale is one of Hoffmann’s most important later children’s books and combines social compassion with humorous imagination and the interplay of verse narrative and illustration that is characteristic of the author. Of particular charm are Hoffmann’s hand-drawn illustrations, which in the first edition also include a depiction of the Frankfurt Christmas market. The world of characters draws on the wooden nutcrackers of the Ore Mountains, which, according to tradition, Hoffmann acquired as models at the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt; the book is thus one of the early literary incarnations of the animated nutcracker motif in German children’s literature. - The top third of the final page is loose. Slightly stained and browned. - Beautifully coloured illustrations. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (books, art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints, photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to the standard tax regime. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
See original version (German)
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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