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TITLE: Rare 3-Piece Svend Elmstedt Unfinished Studio Wood Carving Lot - Study Gnomes
ITEM DESCRIPTION: Up for sale is a profoundly rare, highly significant historical lot of 3 vintage hand-carved wooden gnomes from the personal workspace of the celebrated master folk artist Svend Elmstedt. This lot contains two larger 6.25-inch gnomes left in their raw, beautifully chiseled "rough-out" state, paired with a central 5-inch gnome displaying rich, hand-applied polychrome paint detailing. Because these pieces show the transition from clean flat-plane knife facets to final paint application, they offer an incredible, physical "masterclass blueprint" into Elmstedt’s renowned design mechanics.
STUDIO PROVENANCE & SIGNIFICANCE: Left unsigned, these three figures represent the final, unfinished legacy creations left behind in the carver's workshop. This trio was acquired directly as part of the private estate of a prominent, lifelong art investor and collector. Active from the early 1960s through the late 1990s, this investor possessed an expert eye for unique mid-century Americana and heritage whittling art, tracking Elmstedt's work directly. Meticulously preserved in a professional, smoke-free, climate-controlled archive for decades, these gnomes are entering the public secondary market for the very first time. They represent a true "time capsule" find for serious collectors and students of the flat-plane caricature tradition.
CONDITION: Excellent, untouched vintage studio condition. The solid wood blocks are perfectly stable with no drying splits, edge chips, or structural flaws. The central figure retains its crisp, vibrant original paint, while the outer figures retain their beautiful, raw, un-sanded tool markings exactly as they left Elmstedt's bench. (Please see all photos for exact details).
SPECIFICATIONS: - Heights: 6.25 inches (x2) & 5.00 inches (x1) - Medium: Solid Hand-Carved Wood (Natural & Painted Variants) - Quantity: 3 Studio Figures Total - Artist: Svend Elmstedt (Unfinished Studio Originals)
