I posted pictures of this large free-standing muscular early twentieth century sewer tile pig bank with incised eyelashes to my Instagram account this summer that I found this past July at the antique shows in Brimfield, Massachusetts. Most recently, the pig was owned privately in southern New Jersey, although I was told that it previously retains a long history of ownership in Springfield, Ohio. In fact, Springfield may have even been the original context of family ownership for this object, even though it may have somewhat traveled through the years.
It is also noteworthy to mention that the manufacture of this pig's facial features leads me to believe that it may somehow be related to a molded sewer tile pig bank that sold in Crocker Farm's March 2015 sale in Sparks, Maryland; however, this pig is actually hand formed and not molded. Interestingly, a friend who knows a lot more about sewer tile folk art than I do told me that this was only the second example that he had seen like this made by this hand, where the other example was also found in Ohio.
In fact, the pig that sold at Crocker Farm is one of a group known from this mold, which were all manufactured with a round hole in the base. I suspect the relationship between this pig and the molded pigs might be a result of the location in Ohio that they originated or perhaps even the factory where they were made, rather than an individual. The manufacture of various pig forms were popular end of the day projects with workers at sewer tile factories in the Midwest through the 1950s.
This pig measures over fourteen inches long, whereas figural sewer tile folk art of this size is very unusual for pigs, especially those manufactured during the circa 1900-1930 period. Among the most desired sewer tile pigs known from Ohio today are those that were produced likely as advertising pieces and included in production at the National Sewer Tile Pipe Company in Akron, Ohio, typically measuring nine inches in length and stamped on the base, "NATIONAL / SEWER PIPE CO. / AKRON, OHIO."
For more information about sewer tile pigs and just the overall history of this type of factory folk art - see Jack Adamson's book, Illustrated Handbook of Ohio Sewer Pipe Folk Art.
Note: Some good examples of Ohio sewer tile folk art sold yesterday at Hindman Auctions in Cincinnati, Ohio from the Wes and Shelley Cowan Collection, highlighted by a pair of monumental eagles that sold for $2,250 plus the auction premiums.
A Large Folk Art Sewer Tile Pig Bank that Retains a History of Ownership in Springfield, Ohio
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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