The following is an extract from Francis Young’s “An Earthy History of the British Gnome”, in The Elemental Issue.
“The garden gnome is by now a classic of British kitsch, and today’s garish garden centre gnomes may do anything from exposing their bottoms to lounging in the sun or playing golf. Yet it is worth remembering that this worn cliché of the British suburban garden began life as an evocation of German caverns and grottoes, rather than as a garden ornament per se…
As a child, I remember being fascinated by a garden in my street that was completely filled with gnomes—fishing from bridges, sitting on toadstools, riding bicycles—but I could only glimpse them when my father lifted me high enough to see over the garden wall. To an adult, this was tasteless kitsch; to me, as a child, it was thoroughly enchanting.
The intensity of the British obsession with gnomes, which seems to exceed their utility as mere whimsical ornaments, perhaps suggests that some of their original magical significance has made it through the layers of kitsch. After all, a talisman need not be in good taste to be powerful. Without realising it, those who fill their gardens and patios with gnomes may yearn for magic, for a connection with the earth that takes a personal, personified form.”
The Elemental Issue examines our connection with natural forces. At times harsh and unforgiving, inspiring fear and awe, the four elements are a source of life, creativity, power and transformation. They also speak of an invisible realm and of our own transcendence.
We’re down to the last few Elemental tote bags, so if you’d like one, hurry!
The Elemental Tote Bag features a sky-clad woman riding a deer, a symbol of magic and the spirit world. It is a sturdy black cotton bag (10oz, or 280gsm) with a large bottom gusset and long cotton handles.