{{short description|Lawn ornament figurines}} [[File:ML-Wächter (cropped).JPG|thumb|A German garden gnome]] '''Garden gnomes''' ({{langx|de|links=no|Gartenzwerge|lit=garden dwarfs}}) are [[lawn ornament]] figurines of small humanoid creatures based on the [[mythological creature]] and diminutive spirit which occur in [[Renaissance magic]] and [[alchemy]], known as [[gnome]]s. They also draw on the German folklore of the [[Dwarf (folklore)|dwarf]].
Traditionally, the garden figurines depict male dwarfs wearing red pointy hats. Typically, gnomes stand between {{convert|1|and|2|ft|cm|spell=in|sigfig=1}}. Originating as a decoration for the wealthy in Europe, garden gnomes are now prevalent in gardens and lawns throughout the [[Western world]], among all social classes. They are regarded by some as [[kitsch]].
==History== ===Ancient predecessors=== In [[ancient Rome]], small stone statues depicting the Greco-Roman fertility god [[Priapus]], also a protector of beehives, flocks, and vineyards, were frequently placed in Roman gardens.<ref>{{cite book |last=Arnott |first=Peter D. |year=1970 |title=An Introduction to the Roman World |publisher=Macmillan |location=London |isbn=9780333090701}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Harris |first=Judith |year=2007 |title=Pompeii Awakened: A Story of Rediscovery |url=https://archive.org/details/pompeiiawakeneds0000harr |url-access=registration |publisher=I.B. Tauris |location=London |isbn=978-1-84511-241-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/pompeiiawakeneds0000harr/page/117 117]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Lloyd-Jones |first=Hugh |year=1991 |title=Greek in a Cold Climate |publisher=Duckworth |location=London |isbn=0-389-20967-8 |page=64}}</ref> Gnomes as magical creatures were first described during the [[Renaissance period]] by Swiss alchemist [[Paracelsus]] as "diminutive figures two spans in height who did not like to mix with humans".<ref name=pukas/> During this period, stone "[[grotesques]]", which were typically garishly painted, {{convert|1|m|ft|adj=mid|-tall}} figurines, were commonly placed in the gardens of the wealthy.<ref name=Bell/> Among the figures depicted were ''{{lang|it|gobbi}}'' (Italian for [[hunchback]]s). In particular, [[Jacques Callot]] produced 21 versions of ''{{lang|it|gobbi}}'', which he engraved and printed in 1616.
===18th and 19th centuries=== [[File:lamport-gnome-replica-amoswolfe.jpg|thumb|upright|Replica of Lampy, Charles Isham's 1847 [[terracotta]] gnome from Germany. The original is on display at [[Lamport Hall]].]] By the late 18th century, gnome-like figurines made of wood or porcelain, known by names including "dwarves", had become popular household decorations in some parts of Europe.<ref name="Way, T. 2009" /><ref name="pukas" /> In particular, the area surrounding the town of [[Brienz]] in Switzerland was known for their production of wooden house dwarves. In Germany, these figurines became conflated with pre-existing folk stories and beliefs about dwarves (''Zwerge''; singular ''Zwerg'') that they believed helped around the mines and on the farm.<ref name="Bell" />
The [[Dresden]] company Baehr and Maresch had small ceramic statues of "dwarves" or "little folk" in stock as early as 1841. Hence, while the claim has been contested, some credit Baehr and Maresch with creating the first garden gnomes.({{langx|de|links=no|Gartenzwerge}}).<ref name="Way, T. 2009">{{cite book |last=Way |first=Twigs |year=2009 |title=Garden Gnomes: A History |series=Shire Library |volume=487 |publisher=Shire Publications |location=United Kingdom |isbn=9780747807100}}</ref><ref name="pukas" /> Within less than 10 years, statues of dwarves had spread from the provinces of [[Saxony]] and [[Thuringia]], in particular, across Germany and into France. The manufacture of dwarves spread across Germany, with numerous other large and small manufacturers coming in and out of the business, each having its own particular style of design.<ref name=gnomebandit>{{cite news |author=Metro Staff |date=13 June 2008 |title=Gnome bandit caught |newspaper=Metro |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=175369 |access-date=13 June 2008}}</ref>
Garden gnomes spread to other countries in Europe in the 1840s and became particularly popular in France and Britain.<ref name=pukas>{{citation |last=Pukas |first=Anna |date=11 February 2013 |title=Gnomes have the last laugh as Chelsea Flower Show lift the ban after 170 years |newspaper=Daily Express |url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/376967/Gnomes-have-the-last-laugh-as-Chelsea-Flower-Show-lift-the-ban-after-170-years |access-date=17 December 2016}}</ref> In 1847, [[Sir Charles Isham]], brought 21 [[terracotta]] gnomes manufactured in Germany by Philip Griebel back to Britain where they were called "gnomes" in English,<ref name=pukas/><ref name=Bell/> and placed in the gardens of Isham's home, [[Lamport Hall]] in [[Northamptonshire]].<ref name="Way, T. 2009"/> Nicknamed "Lampy", the only gnome of the original batch to survive is on display at Lamport Hall and insured for {{GBP|1 million}}.<ref name=BBC3>{{cite news |date=1 December 1997 |title=Gnome Expense Spared |newspaper=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/36143.stm |access-date=4 June 2007}}</ref>
Use of the term "garden gnome" may originate from fact that German catalogues sold ornaments of dwarfs under the name ''gnomen-figuren'', meaning miniature figurines.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Garden |date=1992 |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |pages=174 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=82VMAAAAYAAJ&q=%22GnomenFiguren%22 |language=en}}</ref>
From around 1860 onwards, [[Gräfenroda]], a town in [[Thuringia]] long known for its ceramics, became increasingly associated with production of garden gnomes.<ref name="Way, T. 2009"/>
===Twentieth century=== [[File:Gardengnome.jpg|thumb|Gnome figure in Sweden]] Garden gnomes were further popularized when Sir [[Frank Crisp]], the owner of the second largest collection of garden gnomes in the UK, opened his [[Friar Park]], Henley-on-Thames estate to the public at least once a week from 1910 to 1919. It was here where garden enthusiasts and visitors from around the world perhaps saw garden gnomes for the first time.
The reputation of German gnomes declined after [[World War I]], but they became popular again in the 1930s following Disney's animated film ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'', when more working-class people were able to purchase them. [[Tom Major-Ball]] (father of former British prime minister [[John Major]]) was the most notable producer at that time with his company Major's Garden Ornaments.<ref name=Bell/><ref>{{Cite web|last=SMITH|first=ROFF|date=2013-05-23|title=There's a Gnome at the Bottom of Your Garden|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/130521-garden-gnome-chelsea-flower-show-london-lampy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218124752/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/130521-garden-gnome-chelsea-flower-show-london-lampy|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 December 2021|access-date=2021-12-18|website=NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC|language=en}}</ref> [[World War II]] and the years following saw a decline in the industry, causing most producers to halt their manufacture.
Garden gnomes saw a resurgence in popularity again in the 1970s with the creation of more humorous types of gnomes.<ref name=pukas/> In the 1990s, [[travelling gnome]] and garden gnome pranks became popular and made national news at times, where people steal a garden gnome from an unknowing person's lawn and then send the owner photos of the gnome as a practical joke before returning it.<ref>{{cite news |date=12 August 2008 |title='Itchy feet' gnome returns home |newspaper=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7555918.stm |access-date=17 December 2016}}</ref>
===Twenty-first century=== Philip Griebel's descendants are still producing garden gnomes in Germany.<ref name=pukas/> {{As of|2008}}, there were an estimated 25 million garden gnomes in Germany.<ref name=gnomebandit/> A recent{{When|date=April 2020}} trend has introduced miniature gnomes of only a few inches in height.
==Types of garden gnomes== Garden gnomes are typically male, often bearded, usually wear red caps and often have pipes. They are often shown pursuing [[leisure]]ly pastimes such as fishing or napping.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://zwergli.com/picture-gallery.html|title=Picture Gallery|website=Garden Gnomes - Handmade in Germany|access-date=2017-02-09}}</ref>
Gnomes may be made from terracotta clay slip (runny clay) poured into molds. This is allowed to set up and the excess emptied from the center, leaving a clay shell. The gnome is removed from the mold when firm, allowed to dry and then fired in a [[kiln]] until hard. Once cooled, the gnome is painted. More modern gnomes are made from [[resin]]s and similar materials.<ref>{{cite web|last=Griebel |first=Reinhard |date=2007 |title=How a gnome is born |publisher=Zwergli from Griebel |page=9 |url=http://zwerglignomes.com/how-a-gnome-is-born.html |access-date=15 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706134017/http://zwerglignomes.com/how-a-gnome-is-born.html |archive-date=6 July 2015 }}</ref>
Today, many different variations of garden gnomes exist, including humorous ones ranging from the lighthearted [[Outlaw motorcycle club|biker]] or [[barbecue|barbecuing]] gnome, to the more sinister, such as one stabbed in the back or wearing an [[executioner]]'s hood.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}{{better source example|date=June 2018}}
==In popular culture and politics== [[File:Coolmen Garden Gnomes.JPG|thumb|"Socialist" garden gnomes, used in a local election campaign in the Austrian province of [[Vorarlberg]]]]
Gnomes have become controversial in serious gardening circles in the United Kingdom, and were for a time banned from the prestigious [[Chelsea Flower Show]], as the organisers claimed that they detract from the garden designs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/pdf/exhibitor-applications/2014/Chelsea/Show-gardens-applications/What-exhibitors-need-to-know|title=RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014 Show Gardens - What Exhibitors Need To Know|last=Easter|first=Sarah|date=2016-02-22|website=Royal Horticultural Society|access-date=2016-02-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211155727/https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/pdf/exhibitor-applications/2014/Chelsea/Show-gardens-applications/What-exhibitors-need-to-know|archive-date=2017-02-11|url-status=dead}}</ref> Gnome enthusiasts accused the organisers of snobbery, as garden gnomes are popular in the gardens of [[working class]] and suburban households.<ref>{{cite news |last=Akbar |first=Arifa |date=25 May 2006 |title=Gnomes spark row over fairies at Chelsea |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/gnomes-spark-row-over-fairies-at-chelsea-479614.html |access-date=11 October 2010}}</ref> The ban was lifted during 2013 to mark the show's [[Century|centenary]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://blog.thompson-morgan.com/rhs-chelsea-flower-show-100-year-gnome-ban-lifted/|title=RHS Chelsea Flower Show - 100-year gnome ban lifted - Blog at Thompson & Morgan|date=2013-02-12|newspaper=Blog at Thompson & Morgan|access-date=2017-02-09|language=en-US}}</ref>
* In the Italian movie ''[[The Monster (1994 film)|The Monster]]'' (1994), the main character Loris, played by [[Roberto Benigni]], is accused of stealing the garden gnome [[Bashful (character)|Bashful]]. * A subplot in the 2001 French movie ''[[Amélie]]'' revolves around a [[Travelling gnome|"travelling" garden gnome]]. * A {{convert|2|ft|cm|-1|spell=in|adj=mid|-tall}} garden gnome with a long, white beard, red conical hat and blue coat is the central figure in [[Travelocity]]'s [[Where Is My Gnome?|Roaming Gnome]] [[advertising campaign]] which was launched in January 2004.<ref>[https://www.sabre.com/insights/releases/travelocity-and-mckinney-silver-launch-roaming-gnome-ad-campaign-roaming-gnome-enjoys-crackin-good-time-with-savvy-travelocity-travelers/ "Travelocity and McKinney + Silver Launch Roaming Gnome Ad Campaign; Roaming Gnome Enjoys Crackin’ Good Time With Savvy Travelocity Travelers," Sabre Corporation press release, Monday, 5 January 2004.] Retrieved 10 June 2018</ref> * The 2007 video game [[Half-Life 2: Episode Two]] features the unlockable achievement "Little Rocket Man" that requires the player to bring a garden gnome from the start to the end and place him into a rocket. The gnome was later given the name "Gnome Chompski" as a reference to [[Noam Chomsky]] and has appeared in the [[Valve Corporation]] games [[Left 4 Dead 2]] and [[Half-Life: Alyx]]. In 2020 [[Gabe Newell]] partnered with [[Wētā Workshop]] and [[Rocket Lab]] to launch a real-life garden gnome into space.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reporter |first=Imogen Beckhelling Former News |last2=Beckhelling |first2=Imogen |date=2020-11-20 |title=Gabe Newell has blasted Gnome Chompski into space |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/gabe-newell-has-blasted-gnome-chompski-into-space |access-date=2024-09-25 |work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |language=en}}</ref> * ''[[Gnomeo and Juliet]]'' is a 2011 British-American CGI film that is inspired by the tragedy of ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' featuring garden gnomes as the characters.<ref>{{Citation|last1=McAvoy|first1=James|title=Gnomeo & Juliet|date=2011-02-11|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377981/|last2=Blunt|last3=Jensen|last4=Caine|first2=Emily|first3=Ashley|first4=Michael|access-date=2017-02-08}}</ref> In 2018, its sequel, ''[[Sherlock Gnomes]]'', was released. * The [[Social Democratic Party of Austria]] ({{lang|de|SPÖ}}) used garden gnomes, which they called "Coolmen", in their campaign for the 2014 regional elections in [[Vorarlberg]]. It was intended as an ironic pun since the {{lang|de|SPÖ}} historically performed poorly in elections in this part of Austria and considered itself to be a political "dwarf". The campaign placed 20,000 Coolmen holding small posters with short slogans along highly frequented roads. The party made a police report after 400 of them went missing, drawing attention from the international media.<ref name=Bell>{{cite web |last=Bell |first=Bethany |date=24 August 2014 |title=Austrian party rues disappearance of 400 garden gnomes |newspaper=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28923234 |access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> * The 2010 video game ''[[Fable III]]'' includes a side mission where a collection of garden gnomes are given magical properties, which the player character must collect throughout the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/wikis/fable-3/Gnomes|title=Gnomes - Fable 3 Wiki Guide - IGN|website=IGN|date=22 July 2011 |language=en|access-date=2017-02-07}}</ref> * In the [[children's television]] series [[Pinkalicious & Peterrific]] (based on the [[Pinkalicious|book series]] by Victoria Kann), a garden gnome named Norman, who was a bit grumpy but a gentle gnome, befriends Pinkalicious and her friends. *A 2005 episode of ''[[King of the Hill]]'' titled "Yard, She Blows!" revolves around Bobby breaking Peggy's newly acquired, and very rare, garden gnome. Hank, hating the gnome, attempts to use the event to eliminate it from the front lawn.
{{Clear}}
<gallery widths="200" heights="200" perrow="5"> File:Historic Garden Gnomes.jpg|Historical gnomes in a museum display at the [[Gnome Reserve]] in [[Devon]] UK File:Traditional Garden Dwarf.jpg|Traditional German garden dwarf. Probably manufactured in the first half of the 20th century in [[Gräfenroda|Gräfenrode]], Thuringia, Germany. File:Garden Gnome at Gnome Reserve.jpg|Gnome at the [[Gnome Reserve]], Devon, UK File:Nain de jardin J1.jpg|Traditional grey gnome (''En grève'' means "On strike") </gallery>
==See also== * [[Garden hermit]] * [[Garden ornament]] * [[Gnome Reserve]] * [[Travelling gnome]]
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{Commonscat-inline}} {{Lawn ornaments}} {{Authority control}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garden Gnome}} [[Category:19th century in Germany]] [[Category:Figurines]] [[Category:Garden ornaments]] [[Category:Novelty items]] [[Category:Gnomes in popular culture| ]]