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Gnome-like structures have been around since ancient Roman times, where they were first seen as tiny versions of deities positioned outside the home. The most common of them was a representation of the god, Priapus, a fertility god from Greek myth. The origins of the word ‘gnome’ is uncertain, but it may be from the Greek for earth-dweller, ‘genomos’. Priapus was linked to the protection of livestock, planting, and gardening, but unlike our modern-day gnomes, the statue was often in the form of a male member. Its job was to ward off evil spirits and encourage an abundant harvest.
During the Renaissance, the tiny statues took on a more wholesome appearance. It was the Swiss alchemist, Paracelsus, who suggested that the small statues held the spirits of the four elementals, invisible nature sprites that appeared at night to help the plants to grow. At this time, they were referred to as ‘grotesques’, developing into ugly, brightly-coloured figurines with hunched backs. The Italians called them, ‘Gobbi’. Their popularity spread across Europe during the eighteenth century, but their high cost restricted ownership to wealthy landowners.
Myths, fairy tales, and folklore ensured that they remained linked to good harvests and healthy gardens via deeply-embedded superstitions, until a German sculptor, Phillip Griebel, designed and created the comedic…