Majapahit Piggy Bank
In the west, the Piggy Bank has long been a secular rite of passage, a whimsical but educational tool to teach children the benefits of saving. While today many may consider the humble piggy bank a quaint vestige but dated from the Victorian era, few are aware of its ancient origins and profound symbology.
Although there are several alternative theories of origin, there is no doubt that the first true coin banks - banks terra cotta in the shape of a pig with a slot in the top to deposit coins - were made in Java in the 14 e century! So many of these boutique banks have been found in many sizes, it is clear that they were very popular at the time. If you want proof, visit the National Museum on Jalan Merdeka where many are exposed.
Truly, the animal represented is technically not a pig, but the Javanese wild boar or celeng , a small cousin swung back black skin of the European wild boar hunted by Asterix and Obelix. Wild boar is still found in the lower jungles throughout Indonesia, unfortunately however, encroaching on their natural habitat has led to conflict between farmers who consider them pests because of their habit of rooting planted crops.
This and a growing aversion to all things haram resulted in recent years in a new sport in West Sumatra - huge hunts organized in the high catering trays Jakartan Minangkabau successful traders visit their villages. In search of a gladiatorial-like day of entertainment, they use huge packs of dogs to reproduce the local equivalent of the politically incorrect English foxhunt. Unfortunately, the end is predictable and cruel - a vicious and bloody battle that dozens of dogs shred the living boar. While the boar always dies, these creatures when courageous fierce horns also have their revenge - a high number of victims and canines. Considering that many of these animals trained cost as much as $ 30 million a piece, their owners often pay mightily for their pleasure vicariously. Needless to say, the meat is never used for the manufacture of boar sausages.
A domesticated version of the wild boar Indonesia can still be seen in Bali. Although quickly replaced by European races, that they are the key ingredient in the kitchen of the signing of Bali, babi guling , probably guarantee their survival. The traditional role of wild boar in Bali also brings us back to the original subject, the direction of the bank.
Since each pig farmer knows, pigs produce prodigious litter of piglets on a regular basis. So, too, blessed with enormous appetites piglets grow rapidly to huge sizes, eat only leftovers and a variety of food of any use to humans. Until today, many Balinese households raise pigs as quick and easy, but fragrant, how to make money leading to a direct connection between pigs and prosperity.
What better way to choose a clay bank to promote small savings by great wealth. Every great fortune starts with the first penny or in the case of the population of the Majapahit Empire who made the first pig banks Kepeng round Chinese brass coins with square holes that the Balinese use yet to make offerings. As the first piggy banks in Europe, when completed, the only way to open Majapahit celeng banks was open. The large number of broken examples excavated around Truwulan, the former capital suggest much money was saved and spent perhaps to make down payments on motorcycles.
How piggy bank migrated to Europe is, of course, another story. We can only guess, but there are several possibilities. The first is that Oderico of Pordenone, an Italian Catholic monk who was the first and only western to the Majapahit court in the 14 e century, and a lesser-known contemporary of Marco Polo, brought the idea back with him. The idea may also have traveled to Europe via China and the Silk Road. As art history often teaches us, the visual concepts often migrate far from their point of origin in mysterious ways. The irony, of course, is not only that few know the origins of banks, but also their place of origin is now the most populous Muslim country in the world.
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