Lot # : 687 - Set of Tom Clark Gnomes

ALL GNOMES WERE WRAPPED IN TISSUE PAPER (PURPLE AND WHITE) SO THERE ARE BITS AND PIECES ON THE GNOMES AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE PICTURES. Thomas F Clark is the lead artist for Cairn Studio, Ltd. He is the most well-known artist in America today, world renowned for his charming clay sculptures, he is the most prolific and talented sculptor in the figurine industry. He creates a wide variety of statues, from imaginative gnomes and wood spirits, to various rendition of people from all walks of life, including great people in history. A unique aspect of Tom Clark gnomes is that there is a real coin (from somewhere around the world) on the figure. It has significance to the story of each gnome. "Potter's" Story: "Potter" like all the Collector Society Artwork pieces is busy at work. He is using the old-fashioned method of coiling strips of clay to craft a new pot. His potter's wheel is behind him. He has a rag in his back pocket. Some of Potters' other handiwork is nearby; a tea set, and a tall cookie jar. Around the base are scattered fragments of broken pottery, called potsherd. Potter has an Israel coin . "Potter" statue is, a must have addition to any collectible collection of Tom Clark figurines and it is also a great stand alone piece. "Potter" was created by Tom Clark in 1992 and is retired . He is 8 1/4" tall, 5 3/4" in diameter. No COA or Original Packaging. "Potter" IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. See pictures for stamped item number. Tom Clark sculpture entitled "Thistle". The Figurine is 6" x 6 x 11" high. The piece is signed Clark (See pictures for stamped item number). The sculpture is in mint condition. This is a Scottish Woodspirit with the love for hiking which so many Scots have. Often when climbing the peaks of the Cairn-gorms, he takes a pebble from a stream in the glen and leaves it on the the of the mountain that he has climbed. When many Woodspirits do this over the years, a "cairn" (or stone heap) is formed. Thistle has just taken off his three-cornered hat for a bit of breath as he surveys the view. At his foot is his lucky coin, a shilling from Great Britain which depicts the Scottish thistle. "Gnome of Zurich was created on Jan.1, 1984. This sculpture is 7.5" tall and is 4.25" across its felt-covered base. The creation story, though not included, reads as follows: "When Wall Street wants to know what international interest rates are going to be, it consults the Gnome of Zurich. He is obviously a distinguished banker, as evidenced by his pin striped suit and his neat Vandyke beard. In his left pocket he has a swiss coin. The other coins in the pot (at the end of the rainbow) are from all over the world. Unlike his cousins, who put a bird foot marking on the soles of their feet, Zurich has a dollar mark on his left sole and an English pound mark on the right one. The dollar is up over the pound, and the pound will fall if Queen Elizabeth fails!" Tom Clark's work is known for his fine attention to detail, especially those mentioned in his creation stories. These sculptures are no exceptions.