Gert’s piggy bank pages

Saving piggy banks is saving your heritage!

France or Germany

Sitting posh piggy bank with umbrella. Polychrome. 12,5 cm high. Antique; 1870-1910

production

Most frequently used is molding. Inside the mould is the ‘negative’ image of the piggy bank. Slip clay is poured into the mould, water is soaked up in the absorbent mould. All is left to dry for a small period and then the rest of the slip clay is poured out again. To pour out the slip a piggy bank needs to have a hole. That’s the reason modern piggybanks have stoppers. Makers of old fashioned piggy banks used creative means to let the slip go: a hole where the tail later was put on, or through one or more legs. The traditional opening for the coins is cut in the rough material before firing.

A second method to make piggy banks is to use two halves of a mould, and to glue the rough forms together with slip. When done professionally no ‘seam’ is to be seen. Old and antique piggy banks often do show this seam.

The result of both methods is a piggy bank that has to dry further and be fired in the oven. When fired it’s called ‘biscuit’. After painting, glazing en a second firing the piggy bank is ready for use.

 

e-mail: gd@piggybanks.nl                        © 2010-2011 GD projecten

Ways of producing

 

Top

Left: Made as a pot on a potters wheel. Terra cotta (Florence, Italy).

Right: As two halves put together (very common mould/ piggybank).

 

Below

Left: A nice example of potters craftsmanship. (Potdorie, Holland)

Right: Example of the mould method with 2 open legs. (Germany).

Stoneware (UK)