These ventripotent creatures from Germany have become over time a real phenomenon that unleashes passions. Collectors are snatching them up while their detractors are railing against their kitschy appearance. A Garden Gnome Liberation Front has even been created. But who are these little creatures really?
A short history of garden gnomes
The long adventure of garden gnomes began in Germany at the end of the 17th century. At that time they were real stone sculptures or ceramic subjects lovingly hand-painted. It was not until the 19th century that production became industrialized and these figurines were imported, first to England, then more recently to Scandinavia, Japan and especially the United States.
With the advancement of progress and the appearance of synthetic materials, the market for garden gnomes has literally exploded. In Germany, there are nearly 28 million gnomes spread throughout the country!
Mysteries and legends
Since the beginning of time, man has imagined that nature was populated by small beings with mysterious powers. Whether it is the Scandinavian trolls, suddenly reduced from the size of giants to tiny creatures by Christianity, or the goblins or korrigans: here is a whole people living in parallel hidden in caves, mounds or in the shelter of tree trunks, ready to commit vile acts or filled with goodness according to the beliefs and legends.
Our current garden gnomes are therefore the worthy descendants of these remnants of a past still very present.
Domesticated, the creatures, which have become harmless, decorate our gardens with their colorful clothes.
Physionomy of the garden gnome
As we have seen, garden gnomes come in many different materials, but whether they are made of stone, ceramic or plastic, the subject always has a few common characteristics:
- He has a white beard;
- He wears a hat, usually red, with some variations;
- He has a belly;
- He wears very colorful clothes.
The passion of the collectors and other amateurs, caused the arrival on the market of dwarfs of various sizes (from 15 cm to 80 cm) accompanied by animals or provided with utensils in direct link or not with the garden. There are fishing gnomes to be installed near a pond, gardening gnomes equipped with wheelbarrows or shovels and even soccer gnomes!
Note that apart from a few representations of Snow White, there are not many female garden gnomes on the market.
Whether it's kitschy decoration or a symbolic way of life, it's up to each person to decide whether or not to install one or more of these statuettes in their garden!
