GOURD PIGGY BANK, HAND MADE IN GUATEMALA c. 1960

Guatemalan handicrafts are among the most appealing and decorative in the world. Here is a vintage hand made piggy bank crafted from a dried gourd. It purchased at a Central American handicrafts bazaar in Lower Manhattan in the early 1960s, when such creations were rapidly becoming available and popular. It stands about 4.5 inches high and is 6 inches long. The foliage pattern was created by painting the gourd black, then scraping the surface to reveal the pale skin of the gourd. Some vegetable pigments were used to create his pink nose, green leaves, and a flower. Four little wooden pegs are his legs, and the Guatemalan craft stamp is on one of the legs. The legs are removable, were never glued in, so we left them that way. The coin slot in his back is large enough to let pass a 50-cent piece or even a silver dollar. There is no belly plug, so getting coins back out again is a matter of turning the bank upside down, then inserting a thin dinner knife and jiggling the bank until coins slide out along the knife blade…bet you've been through this before with a bank you didn't want to crack open… "El Puerco" is an adorable addition to any piggy bank collection!