MLK Day Special: Exploring garden gnome diversity

When we think of garden gnomes, we mostly imagine wee portly white men with beards. Lady garden gnomes are becoming more visible in lawns around the world; however, gnomes still remain mostly Caucasian males. Is there gnome oppression based on race happening in the gardening community, or are white people the only ones with bad taste in lawn decor?

Apparently, I am not the only blogger with these questions. Hannah from Cleveland posted an entry titled, "Racial Equality Among Garden Gnomes." She wonders where the African American, Asian, and Hispanic garden gnomes are - and if this is perhaps because black gnomes would be reminiscent of offensive lawn jockeys of yesteryear, or if it was just an oversight by garden gnome manufacturers.

I did some online shopping to see what ethnicities of gnomes were up for purchase. I found two black gnomes available and listed as "gnomes of color" by vendors. For example,  the Gnome on the left is called, "Mr. Gnome (of color)". There were only two other black gnomes I could find for sale - they were on Ebay and painted to look like lawn jockeys (disturbing).

My first encounter with non-white garden gnomes was when I watched the movie "The Garden Gnome," which I posted about last month. The movie featured stereotypically typecast characters; the smooth, cool, black gnome, and the rickshaw driving Asian gnome. After seeing the movie I looked for these gnomes online; however, I could only find the two gnomes pictured above. This leads me to believe that the non-white gnomes I have seen are made by individuals who purchase unpainted gnomes and created them in the likeness of the racial identity of their choice.

Another blogger, Shaun Oakes of South Africa, posted an entry titled, "Why is there a gnome in my lounge," where he confesses his confusion over his gnomes ethnicity - he thinks the little guy is Indian, but is unsure as he has never seen an Indian Gnome before. I can find no trace of Indian gnomes online, but I would say Shaun took a fare guess.

Elif Batuman of San Francisco posted a fascinating blog entry titled, "Gehghis Khan garden gnomes." She discusses the roots of Garden Gnomes and traces their beginnings to the ancient Mongols. To the left is a photo of an antique Chinese gnome housed in a Hong Kong museum.


Apparently artists Zoe Charlton and Rick Delaney have also noticed the distinct lack of cultural diversity in the garden gnome community. In 2004 and 2006 they displayed an art installation called, "There Goes the Neighborhood." This exhibit was a socioeconomic critique on the American Dream and suburban culture. It featured gnomes painted in seven different shades of black, displayed among a neatly manicured lawn, surrounded by a white picket fence, with cookie cutter houses. Click here for more pictures.



Sadly, it seems that garden gnomes may not be without their dark history. I don't know the story behind this blackface gnome, but found this picture by Niemster on Flickr.

In conclusion, the search for gnome diversity has fallen somewhat short. However, the issue is being discussed in blogs and museums around the world, leaving me still to wonder . . . are white people the only one's with bad taste in lawn decor?