Bidspirit auction | The Bismark Pig Bank

The Bismark Pig Bank - Designed by Charles Bailey. Made by J. & E. Stevens Company. Cromwell, Connecticut - Circa 1883. This unusual esoteric bank references the German Tariff of 1879. This protectionist law imposed high tariffs on the import of agricultural products into Imperial Germany. German Chancellor Otto Bismark, who demanded the unfair tax, pops out from the pig's belly, a sort of updated Trojan Horse. Clearly, this piece was one of Bailey's first assignments at J. & E. Stevens. There is still the fascination with lead (figure's head), but he also uses tin and cast iron to fulfill the design of his comical toy bank. Condition: Near Mint Condition.