18th Century Qing Dynasty Fish Shaped Cricket Holder

In the late 19th century the concept of thrift became a principle by which parents encouraged their children to safe money by putting their pennies into a "piggy bank", thus the proliferation of these items by pottery manufacturers, this particular example marked "SS" on the underneath indicating "A Smith Ltd.", Longton, England whose ceramic, china, and pottery business began in 1846 by Sampson Smith. Nicely molded and in excellent condition, this proverbial pig themed penny bank is painted overall white with a multiplicity of green "spatter" spots, the pig standing on all fours has a twisted tail in back. The original finish is beautifully glazed resulting in a lovely patina to this completely original bank with no restoration or touch up paint of any kind and all of it's original hand paint intact. Since these type of antique banks typically were made without a coin removal trap, the only way to extract the coins would have been the old "knife in the slot" method and retrieving the pennies one by one; or the more simpler method of smashing and breaking the bank, which is why locating these banks is very difficult, rendering a fine example particularly rare. This example is a wonderful addition to a collection of authentic still banks, folk art, or for those who accumulate pig items. This recently came from an estate collection of pig still banks. A similar example is referenced as #633 "Two Toned Pig" in Andy Moore's "The Penny Bank Book" written in 1984 when collecting pottery banks...

This very unique still bank is a "must have" for the discerning still bank collector, in that it is made of bakelite, in addition to it having a fish theme; only a couple of other banks depict a fish. American and probably manufactured around circa 1930, (making it an Art Deco piece), this pre-war bank, though unmarked, is undoubtedly a bakelite product; that company having been formed in 1922, utilizing the discovery and patent of bakelite in 1907 and 1909 respectively. Art Deco collectors would find this piece highly decorative and "period" compatible. This fish bank is in excellent and all original condition. The bank is rare in and of itself, but another element that makes it particularly scarce is the fact that, other than the old "knife in the slot" there was no way to remove the coins once the bank was filled without smashing it apart and destroying it. Great gift for that February/March pisces birthday. Dimensions: 8 1/4" long x 5" high x 2 1/8" wide Note:I am a leading specialist in the field of vintage coin banks...

American pottery still bank in the shape of a pig, used for saving coins (usually pennies) to encourage children the importance of thrift. Pottery still banks are somewhat scarce since the typical way to remove coins was to smash the bank open, albeit, with this particular example, perhaps a knife was used for coin removal (note the wear to the coin slot---see images) or perhaps the additional wear is also from many coins having been deposited. The bank is in good all original condition , from an unknown potter (unmarked) circa 1880's, and probably a variant of #633 "Two Toned Pig" in Andy Moore's "The Penny Bank Book" written in 1984 when collecting pottery banks...

"Kadi" is the name of this rare Chinese themed vintage German made mechanical toy; depicting two turn of the century Chinese men with pigtails walking along, while carrying a large t...

A small but interesting bronze in the form of a fish, with a chocolate-colored patina, probably intended to serve as a calligrapher's weight (bunchin). The treatment of the scales is...

Sculptural and abstract, this curious wooden fish is a 19th-century Buddhist woodblock from western China. Known simply as "wooden fish" (mùyú), these temple bells were used by Buddh...

Hand-crafted from reclaimed wood, this large koi sculpture is a traditional symbol of harmony and luck. For Buddhists, such a fish represents a freedom from all restraints. Much of t...

Hand-crafted from reclaimed wood, this artisanal koi sculpture is a traditional symbol of harmony and luck. For Buddhists, such a fish represents a freedom from all restraints. And b...