Pig with ridge on back (or -Fish-Pig-) still bank c. 19th century

Curator: What an utterly charming little thing! There's such whimsy and awkwardness in this figure. Editor: It certainly possesses an unconventional allure. You're observing an earthenware still bank, sometimes called "Pig with ridge on back (or -Fish-Pig-)," dating back to the 19th century. Currently, it resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Curator: A fish-pig...well, it certainly evokes aquatic associations, doesn't it? That vibrant green glaze is almost algal, suggesting underwater growth. And those incised lines could represent currents or seaweed. It makes one think of ancient creation myths involving primordial beasts. Editor: Precisely! The pig itself carries heavy symbolic weight in diverse cultures, doesn't it? While often associated with prosperity and abundance in agrarian societies, other traditions link pigs to less savory aspects of human nature, like gluttony or uncleanliness. Considering its use as a piggy bank, could the form have represented wealth and commerce, viewed as tainted with corruption? Curator: That is quite possible! Perhaps this ambiguity— the pig-form glazed with what one could perceive as "sickly" or "toxic" shades of green suggests anxieties regarding growing commerce. Editor: Interesting indeed. It may also tie into ideas about the grotesque, and carnivalesque inversions of societal order. And that opening? Not the usual cute coin-slot...almost like a wound. Curator: It really provokes more questions than it answers, doesn't it? While naive in execution, the "Pig with ridge on back" becomes, unexpectedly, a vessel brimming with cultural complexities and hidden narratives. The "handmadeness" becomes a reminder that mass produced, "clean" commerce lacks an empathetic reminder of "humanness". Editor: Absolutely. This simple ceramic pig resonates far beyond its size or its intended function, mirroring our complicated relationship with wealth and the symbols we create around it.