Majapahit Terracotta Piggybank

A money-till or piggybank, Majapahit terracotta “celengan” or wild-boar. The animal has a large chain around his neck closed with a Chinese type of padlock Majapahit era 14th century. This piggybank (this clay animal deserves his name rightfully) is a large, voluminous piece of craftsmanship. The grayish with red overtones clay-work, expresses importance and a certain agressivity, which is one of the well known characteristics of the wild-boar. It is not by accident that this celengan is a pig. Pigs, boars have since the earliest days of religious awareness, been considered as totem animals and as symbols of fertility. This not only in China or South East Asia but in the ancient western world as well. According to some researchers, the pig is among the first animals to become a substitute for a human sacrifice. It’s in these backed clay images that the memory of this substitute sacrifice was extended. The counterpart of the Museum Kolong Tangga’s celengan has the same size as the one of our museum. This counterpart belongs to the collection of the Museum for ethnology in Leiden (Holland). The Leiden-object has to be honest, a much better finish, looks richer, it’s all likely due to the fact that the Museum Kolong Tangga’s celengan was found broken into several pieces. Now, very well restored, using only the original shards, our piggybank stands most stable on his surprisingly short legs.