-Prancing Horse on Pebbled Base- still bank c. 1910

This copper-toned cast iron still bank, titled Prancing Horse on Pebbled Base, was made by an anonymous artist at an unknown date. I find myself thinking about the artist and the way they built up the form of the horse. The pebbled base grounds the energy of the upward-rearing horse, like a cloud of dust, caught in the same metal as the animal it supports. I bet they enjoyed the challenge of rendering that dynamic pose in a static material. It's like they’re saying, "I can capture movement, even in something solid." The subtle variations in tone suggest the hand of the artist, as if they were coaxing the metal to capture the sheen and muscular tension of a real horse. There’s something about the anonymity of the artist that makes me wonder about all the unsung craftspeople who pour their heart into their creations, enriching our lives. They remind me that art is a continuous, cumulative process, with each artist drawing inspiration and pushing boundaries in response to what came before.