Antiques & Collecting: Garden gnomes

This time of the year, many of us have gardens on our minds, whether plans involve planting, pruning or decorating. Garden gnomes are some of the most popular garden decorations and have been since the 1800s. They were first made in Thuringia, Germany, a region known for its ceramics.

In German folklore, gnomes were said to guard against evil and sometimes help with garden tasks like digging and weeding when no one was looking. In fairy tales, gnomes often guarded treasure.

Today, garden gnomes are made from materials like concrete, resin or plastic. Antique and vintage gnomes made of iron or pottery are more valuable.

Bidders at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries brought this pottery gnome, whose presale estimated value was $200 to $300, to a final price of $2,875.

This one is a little atypical, which may have contributed to the price. While most gnomes have red caps, his is blue.

“Germany” is impressed on the back, indicating he was made for export. The mark also offers clues to when the gnome was made, assuming he was exported to the United States.

After 1891, anything imported by the United States had to be marked with its country of origin. This mark usually included the words “Made In” after 1915.

From the end of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, German products were marked for East or West Germany. So, the gnome was probably made either in the early 20th century or toward the end.

I recently found a teapot that is shaped like an old country cottage, and it is marked on the bottom as made in Occupied Japan. What does that mean and could it be worth something?

“Occupied Japan” is the mark on ceramics, toys and other items made in Japan during the American occupation after World War II, about 1947 to 1952.

There are collectors who specialize in Occupied Japan products. To them, the mark is the most important part; at antiques shows, Occupied Japan items are displayed upside down so the mark is immediately visible.

Novelty ceramics like your teapot tend to sell for low prices. We have seen a similar teapot, along with a matching sugar bowl and creamer, sell recently for about $20.

This style of teapot, shaped like a cottage, is sometimes called “cottage ware.” We have seen it attributed to the Marabout ceramics company.

Tip: When moving furniture, always tie drawers and doors in place. Use soft cloth tape.

Current Prices

Medical, eye chart, tumbling E, white lettering, black ground, paper, offset lithograph, 20th century, 28 × 22 inches, $190.

Paper, book, “Gilded Age: A Tale of To-Day,“Mark Twain, brown leather covered boards, gilt lettering, 1st edition, American Publishing Company, F.G. Gilman, 1873, 8 3/4 x 6 1/4 inches, $280.

Game, wheel, carnival, painted, yellow ring, numbers, four baluster shape spokes, alternating red and green, stars, two-sided, 24 inches, $385.