Smoking man from the Erzgebirge - little friends in great variety!

Smoking men from the Erzgebirge are a popular Christmas decoration and worth seeing all year round

Incense smokers from the Erzgebirge are used to burn incense cones and originally only represented a purely functional, secure cover. Over the years, this has embellished the folk art from the Erzgebirge in great detail. The various motifs and professions of everyday life, which were depicted in traditional carving, today enjoy a colorful variety in form and color and are even used by lovers as year-round decoration. With our handmade carving art from Seiffen or the Erzgebirge, we offer you a whole range of different incense smokers.

The smoking man from the Ore Mountains

Starting with the classic forest man, the miner, the „Holzmichel“, the snowman or an ottoman incense smoker with typical traditional costume. Alternatively, our incense smokers show various job profiles, which are presented with great attention to detail.

We are happy to help you to realize individual desired incense smokers according to your ideas, for example with your company logo. We do not shy away from extraordinary inquiries and are happy to support any personal project. Here, too, our guiding principle applies: Almost everything can be realized. So if you need an individual gift idea, a collector's item or timeless Christmas decorations, you will certainly find what you are looking for with us. Incense cones can of course be ordered directly.

Erzgebirge smoking manikin - history and origin

A pleasant scent of frankincense wafts through the air – no other smell is associated with Christmas as much as that of an incense cone. For many, the candles are indispensable in the Advent and Christmas season. But it is not always only the scent of smoking that many love, but it is also the incense smoker that creates a harmonious Christmas ambience. Incense smokers from the Erzgebirge are known and loved worldwide – but do you actually know their history and significance? Here's how to read on and learn more about it...

History of the Erzgebirgisches Smoking Man

The people in the Erzgebirge once lived from mining. With its decline in the 18th century, the population in the region began to devote itself to carving wooden toys and other objects made of wood. The first wooden figures from the Erzgebirge were created. Over time, this craft grew into a large number of larger family businesses and wholesalers. Since then, it has been impossible to imagine life without the wood art from the Erzgebirge as an economic sector.

Since the end of the 18th century, incense cones have been produced in the Erzgebirge. Until the middle of the 19th century, these were placed openly and set on fire. There were also already various figures and models made for burning the cones. But it was not until 1830 that the incense smoker as we know it today came into being. The first incense smoker from the Erzgebirge was a so-called pipe smoker. Even today, this type of smoker can be found in a variety.

How does a smoking man from the Erzgebirge?

The classic incense smoker consists of a two-part wooden figure. The lit incense cone will be placed on the lower part. The upper part of the incense smoker is hollowed out and is placed on lower part of the incense smoker. The smoke escapes through a mouth hole. This creates the well-known image of a smoking small wooden figure.

Which incense candles are used for the incense smokers?

Please pay attention to the size of the incense cones recommended by the manufacturer for the incense smoker. Otherwise, using the standard size in mini incense smokers can pose an enormous fire hazard. You can get incense cones in miniature size in our online shop.

Meaning of the Erzgebirge smoking manikin

What initially served as a practical cover for incense cones is now the incense smoker. The incense    smoker, also called „Raachermannl“,    is an integral part of the folk art from the Erzgebirge and a figurehead for this tradition. From local woods of    deciduous trees, such as maple, birch, beech, alder, spruce or linden, these are lovingly turned by hand.        Since then, the incense smokers show various traditional professions of the region. Miners, soldiers or         even dumpling women are well-known versions. Nowadays, however, numerous modern variants of the           smokers can also be found, such as snowmen, football players or skiers.      

   The traditional smoker from the Erzgebirge meets the highest quality requirements and stands for original      German craftsmanship. A high-quality Christmas wooden figure that everyone knows. For many, the             incense smokers are valuable collector's items.

Discover smoking manikin: our Christmas classics 

Did you know all that? A long tradition and attention to detail make the incense smokers from the Erzgebirge a classic for Advent and Christmas. The online shop seiffen.com offers a large selection of these small works of art. Incense smoker from well-known manufacturers, such as Christian Ulbricht, Hubrig Volkskunst, Seiffener Volkskunst, KWO, Müller Kleinkunst and Richard Glässer can be found here. Admire the numerous variants of the incense smokers from the Erzgebirge. Which one do you like best?

> A number of frequently asked questions are answered here:

When to wake up smoking manikin before Christmas?

Nowhere else are the Christmas traditions lived like in the Erzgebirge. Here is Christmasland. And in many families the incense smokers are still "awakened" today. Then the father quietly climbs into the attic to get the "males" out of their long sleep. Every single incense smoker has been wrapped in tissue paper and in a box after Christmas and now it's time to wake them up. This happens in our region before the first Advent so that the incense smokers can smoke their first pipe on the first weekend in Advent.

Where are smoking men made and where can I buy smoking men?

The home of the incense smoker is the Erzgebirge. After the invention of incense cones, the resourceful miners created a wooden figure that was used to burn the candles. The forest of the Erzgebirge provided the basis for turning the wooden figures and to this day there are always new designs from modern to traditional, which inspire collectors in particular.

And where the cradle of the little guys is, that's where you can buy them. In many small companies in the Erzgebirge and the region around Seiffen, the figures are made in large and small, colorful and natural or thick and thin. There is a suitable incense smoker for every taste. A trip to Christmasland gives the best opportunity to buy. But if you want to order a "Raachermannel", as it's called here, from the comfort of your own home, you should definitely take a look around at seiffen.com. Here you can get your personal incense smoker from many well-known manufacturers.

Does a smoking man drive away mosquitoes?

It is not the incense smoker that drives away the annoying pests in summer, but the scent of the incense cones. Mosquitoes don't like scents like lavender, mint, citronella, peppermint or thyme at all. In addition to incense cones with a Christmassy scent, you can also get fresh, flowery varieties in our online shop that you can use to keep mosquitoes away. You can always let our incense cones burn safely with our incense smoker figures, incense smoker houses, incense smoker ovens or incense burners. It doesn't necessarily have to be Santa Claus or the night watchman in summer. How about an incense smoker that reflects your profession or, quite original, the rocker, a cow or a ladybug? Just have a look around in our large assortment.

Why doesn't my smoking manikin smoke?

A smoker that doesn't smoke? That is not how it works! With the right tips, you can get the incense smoker to smoke again. The most important thing is the air supply, which must be guaranteed. Incense smokers from the Erzgebirge have provided sufficiently large openings due to their high quality standards. However, these can sometimes be contaminated, for example by chips or wood burrs. Please check these openings. They are located on the one hand on the figure's head (mainly) where it smokes from the mouth and on the other hand on the foot or base. Both openings ensure that the incense candle burns down due to the chimney effect and must be kept free. Please note that a beard, scarf or similar can also impede the passage of air.

It often happens that the standard incense cones (25 mm) are burned down in small incense smokers. Due to the small cavity, large incense cones often go out and do not burn out completely, or the incense cones touch the wood of the figure - be careful, there is a risk of fire! Even incense cones that are too small cannot smolder too quickly in the large bodies. Another reason may be the incense cones themselves. They are often not stored properly - above all, they should be stored dry. Take the incense cones out of the bag and place them on the heater or other heat source for a few hours (possibly days) and this often solves the problem.