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Circa: 1950
Country of Origin: Italy
Manufacturer: Mid Century Italian Import
One of the best Christmas light sets I've ever come across: a near mint early 1950s boxed miniature light set made in Italy with 12 pinecone gnomes or elves holding a candle topped by a mini light bulb.
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The elves have white mica snow frosted pinecone bodies, real cotton batting beards, and molded clay-like composition hand painted faces. They stand on scalloped mica encrusted cardboard bases decorated with lacquered red berries and sprigs of bottle brush pine. Each one is different (one even has teeth!), and each has a different style or color of paper maché composition hat. The hats have wired loops so you can position them with hooks or wire on the tree branches - with wonderful faces like that, you don't want any of them facing the wall or the inside of the tree!
The gnomes spaced 10 to 12 inches apart on an approximately 18 foot long light string. The box is marked Genuine Italian Miniature Lights, If One or More Go Out the Rest Remain Lit. A sticker on the side of the box reads Style Art. 714, Volts 110 - 120, Made In Italy. The box bottom is in great condition but the lid has some creases and the cellophane window is broken and torn. The cord and plug have no wear, the lights all work perfectly and the gnomes are in wonderful condition with only minor age and storage wear. Truly a rare and special find for the vintage Christmas or pine cone elf collector.
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