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Piggy Bank
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePiggy Bank, 1300s–1400s. Java, Majapahit Dynasty. Terracotta; overall: 24.2 cm (9 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1980.16
