Artist: Unknown
Year: Unknown
Materials: Bronze
Dimensions: 4.5′ x 5.5′ x 6.5′

About Porcellino

Pietro Tacca (1577-1640) sculpted the Porcellino in 1633. Italian for piglet, the sculpture was modeled after a Hellenistic marble boar from antiquity. Tacca’s bronze Porcellino is in the Bargello National Museum in Florence due to conservation concerns. A reproduction of his Porcellino is located in the Loggia del Mercato Nuovo, Florence, Italy. The artist added flora as well as snails and crabs on the base of this Porcellino. These lush elements leave connotations of the abundance of luck and prosperity that is granted from rubbing the pig’s nose. According to Italian legend, any traveler who rubs the Florentine Porcellino’s snout is ensured safe returns to Florence.