Piggy Bank

Description

Do I look familiar to you? My round and exaggerated form makes me perfect for storing precious coins, which could be inserted through the slot (now closed) on the hump of my back. My fierce expression is a warning to scare off any burglars, and the padlock and chain around my neck indicate my function as a personal bank. Yes, I am a piggy bank—a lucky one that has survived intact for over 500 years! Usually we end up broken by people who want our coins.

Provenance

(J. J. Baars, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1980); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1980–)

Piggy Bank

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1300s–1400s

Accession Number

1980.16

Medium

terracotta

Dimensions

Overall: 24.2 cm (9 1/2 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund