-Havalina- still bank 1976

Curator: Welcome! Today, we are looking at -Havalina- still bank, a ceramic sculpture from 1976, by Peter's Pottery Works. It resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: I'm immediately struck by the... resignation in its face. It's like this little piggy has seen it all, all the coins and troubles, and is just over it. Curator: Precisely! The formal qualities underscore this beautifully. Note the heavy brow and downcast eyes, crafted through subtle carving and a muted color palette. The sculpture utilizes this restrained decoration of incised details that serve to capture the features of this javelina. Editor: And, of course, its very existence is about delayed gratification, societal control of wealth—piggy banks historically reinforce class divides as children accumulate what disposable money they are allotted, separate from their adult handlers. Even in childhood we see disparity! Curator: Interesting point! But consider how the form interacts with the material. The rough, speckled surface of the ceramic adds texture. This visual complexity reinforces the sculptural form itself and lends an almost organic feel—as if this creature emerged directly from the earth. Editor: And maybe that texture lends to its folksy charm, hiding that darker element within a children's collectible. Are children also socialized to hoard through cultural tools like the still bank? Is our economic anxiety instilled from an early age, using this animal form, read as submissive? The havalina in life is far from that—the artwork becomes complicit through its material culture! Curator: Regardless, I feel that the form itself reflects balance. The body, though stout, remains elegantly poised on its small, stubby legs. The interplay between its function as a coin receptacle and an aesthetic object is what resonates. It's art, and it is also a cultural artifact for accumulating savings. Editor: Maybe both statements are not at odds; consider also what isn't present: what the child may learn, what the pig represents within various cultural symbols! The hollow sculpture reminds us, literally, of the absences we will grow to face. Curator: An intriguing note. The interplay of line, form, and texture does give this sculpture a very nuanced, thoughtful appearance. Editor: For me, I'll never look at another piggy bank without thinking of instilled oppression.