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Pair of Garden Sculptures Depicting Gnomes – Tuscany, Early 19th Century
Two figures, sculpted with a rough hand but clear intent. Thick beards, stern expressions, pointed hats, and a cornucopia clutched tightly in their arms. They are gnomes – or rather, stone spirits – born in Tuscany in the early 1800s, shaped from a humble yet durable mix of hardened lime putty and crushed stone, materials commonly used at the time for outdoor ornaments.
They weren’t mere decorations: they were presences. Silent, discreet presences, often tucked among hedges, near a spring, or at the edge of a pergola. The figure of the gnome, rooted in Central European folklore and welcomed into Italian gardens from the late 18th century onward, symbolized the protection of the land, the guardianship of roots, and the memory of the forest.
These two figures still speak of that world. They do not smile, nor try to charm: they watch, they guard. They bear the true marks of time – moss, cracks, traces of weather – without any staged patina. They were made to live outdoors, to face the elements, to belong wherever they are placed.
For those who value quiet presences, who seek a corner that speaks in whispers, in the humble and grounded language of the earth.
- Material: Mixture of lime and crushed stone
- Condition: Restored
- Period: Fine '700 / Primi '800
- State: Good conditions
