Posted 12 months ago
SundayDaze
(2 items)
Found this box with a very unique Garden Gnome? Troll? Anyone have any idea where he's from of what he is? I love the moon and mushrooms ????
Garden Gnome brass box | ||
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Garden Gnome brass box | ||
| MVFinds1's likes11 of 14 | | |
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Posted 12 months ago
SundayDaze
(2 items)
Found this box with a very unique Garden Gnome? Troll? Anyone have any idea where he's from of what he is? I love the moon and mushrooms ????
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Looks like a plaque of some kind for display outdoors on a statue or object.
Hi, SundayDaze. :-)
Google Lens didn't turn up any twins, but I did find some informative tidbits about ELPEC:
*snip*
It was initially a brassfounders and then specialised in reproduction copper and brassware initially based on Belgian designs.
In the 1950s & 60s all products left the factory with a gold and black printed oval sticker with the company Trade mark and "Brassware of Distinction" written around the edge.
The 'Elpec' name lapsed in 1972
*snip*
https://www.oldcopper.org/makers/elpec_brass.php
So possibly a Belgian design originally.
Looks like the imp only comes out at night to dance nude among the mushrooms. Interesting. Maybe the design is based on Belgium folklore.
I think this is a depiction of a Cornish pixie or "pisky". Back in the mid-20th century (not sure of exact dates) there was a British fashion -- nay, craze -- for all sorts of "lucky" Cornish or West Country pixie merchandise. If you search on such phrases as "Cornish pixie" along with "brooch" or "brass" you will see many, MANY examples!
Often the pixie is shown with a pointed hat, but not always. I was able to find this online example of a Cornish pisky by Elmec on an online shop here:
https://www.retonthenet.co.uk/antique-elpec-lloyd-pascal-birmingham-brass-3-high-cornish-lucky-pisky-piskie-pixie-figure-1930s-8523-p.asp
So I think what you've got here is a pisky or pixie, gambolling at night among the mushrooms. It's even possible the mushrooms are suggesting a circle of mushrooms, in which case the identification is even more certain:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/08/what-is-a-fairy-ring/
P.S. The brass Cornish pixie I found is by Elpec, as is your box -- "Elmec" was my typo. As my dad used to say: Always, always proofrat!
And a second P.S.!
I did a search on 'elpec pixie box', and while I didn't find one exactly like yours, the search results kicked up a photo of an Etsy listing of a box labelled "Antique Brass Dartmoor Pixie B.." [presumably Box]. It looks a bit like yours, and features a pixie sitting in a circle of mushrooms, although this pixie is seated and seems to be wearing a pointed hat. Here's the link for the image itself:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRHDS5EkYQRIqNEidwooPjzOQux53P1YeimrJvxwY0aiAb5yj4Y98HjXwkb6ut151RL4-M&usqp=CAU
Unfortunately, the original listing is no longer on Etsy, so this photo and the (truncated) listing title is all we've got.
However, I poked around with 'brass pixie box' and found something quite similar here:
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1527930673/rare-antique-brass-cornish-piskey-pixie
So clearly there is a tradition in England of making brass boxes with lids featuring pixies sitting in mushroom circles!