Ca. 1368-1644 AD or later .A beautifully crafted green-glazed terracotta pig. The pig is depicted standing, with its tail curled over its hip. The facial details including the eyes, nostrils, and mouths are carefully modelled. The pig is the twelfth of the twelve animals in a zodiac cycle and represents diligence, compassion, and realism. Ceramic figures such as this item were important to a variety of cultures with afterlife beliefs that involved trials, travels, or an afterlife similar to that which was lived on Earth. These animals, which are included as funerary offerings reflect the belief that assistance, luck, and companionship would be helpful in overcoming the difficult environs of the afterlife. Size: L:100mm / W:125mm ; 375g Provenance: UK private collection of Asian Art; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.