Smoking Men
By the early 19th century, pipe-smoking had caught on throughout Europe, and it quickly took the fancy of the toymakers. Smoking men (or smokers) were being produced in Germany as early as 1800, as patternbooks from that period show. The basic form has remained largely unchanged over the years: the lathe-turned, hollow body holds an incense cone which, as it slowly burns, releases smoke through the figure's mouth. Today the variations on this design are myriad, ranging from the traditional to the contemporary. (For more information about Smoking Men and the Christmas folk art of the Erzgebirge, please visit our About Us page.)
For Christmas decorations that kids can really play with, be sure to visit our collection of Ostheimer Nativity figures!
