The Sandman is also the basis for the ballet Coppelia, which along with the Nutcracker, are my two favorite works in the genre. I also have the piano scores to both at home.
In the late 18th century automatons were a very popular item for the upper classes and they make appearances both in the first act of the Nutcracker and of course in the form of Coppelia herself.
The most famous automaton of all time was the Chess Playing Turk. A very fun read is the book “The Turk: The Life and Times of the Eighteenth Century Chess Player” by Tom Standige. Highly recommended.
Was the Turk not exposed as having a human chess player concealed in the table?