Crossword Genius

Air maybe lifting around hollow marble statues (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

gnomes

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'statues' is the definition.
(garden gnomes)

'air maybe lifting around hollow marble' is the wordplay.
'air maybe' becomes 'song' (air can mean a piece of music. I am not sure about the 'maybe' bit.).
'lifting' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'around' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'hollow' suggests removing the centre (the word is hollowed out).
'marble' with its middle removed is 'me'.
'song' written backwards gives 'gnos'.
'gnos' placed around 'me' is 'GNOMES'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for gnomes that I've seen before include "Zurich goblins" , "Fairytale dwarfs as garden ornaments" , "Legendary creatures" , "Ornamental garden figures" , "Influential dwarfs from Zurich?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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