PAIR OF CANOSAN GREEK POTTERY PIGS

Ca. 400-300 BC
A pair of pottery pigs. Each of these figurines displays simplified features and is attached to an integral flat base with a rectangular-shaped profile. The animals present upturned snouts with pronounced nostrils, well-defined protruding ears, and a dorsal ridge, meticulously shaped to depict a mane. Within Greek mythology, the pig was often associated with Demeter due to its role in agricultural practices and its ties to abundance and nourishment. As Demeter presided over the harvest and the cultivation of crops, the pig, as a creature linked to the earth and its fertility, symbolized the fruitful yield of the land. Thus, the presence of these votive pig figures underscores the veneration of Demeter and the desire for bountiful harvests among the worshippers who offered such figurines.
Size: L:52-52mm / W:98-100mm ; 260g
Provenance: Property of a central London Gallery; formerly in a South English estate collection; acquired in the 1990s from Andre de Munter, Brussels, Belgium; previously in and old European collection.
Estimate: GBP 600 - 900