-My Pet Horse- still bank c. 1920s

This still bank of a horse called "My Pet" was made by the Arcade Manufacturing Company at some point in the early twentieth century, and it looks like it's made of cast iron. The dark, almost black color, with those patches that look like rust or age, it feels more than decorative, more about the kind of animal it's trying to represent. I like how it seems to be about the weight and presence of a horse, as much as about its shape. It’s pretty straightforward as a form, but there's this tension between the simple, almost cartoonish shape and the real sense of heft that the material gives it. It's not trying to be slick or perfect; it's got this rough, worn texture that makes it feel solid, like a real object. The inscription "My Pet" is raised from the surface of the horse’s flank and it seems to function in a similar way to a painter signing their work. The horse’s surface looks to be flecked with a bronze-like paint which makes me think of Guston's rough surfaces that embrace the making process. Like Guston, this object isn't trying to hide anything. It embraces ambiguity, suggesting stories rather than telling you exactly what to think or feel.