Carousel Figure of a Pig

When carousels (or merry-go-rounds) were at their height of popularity in American entertainment, from the 1890s to the 1920s, as many as three thousand carousels were installed at amusement parks across the country. Many of the finest carvers of carousel animals were immigrants. In this case, the maker is Salvatore Cernigliaro, an American born Italian craftsman nicknamed "Cherni" or "Cherny." He is credited with introducing menagerie figures-including lions, tigers, zebras, and seahorses-to the line of the prominent Dentzel Carousel Company in Philadelphia.

This dynamic and charming pig, attributed to Cernigliaro, has rippled layers of muscle and fat under his chin and on his plump hindquarters, as well as perky ears, and a galloping posture that energizes his appearance. An acorn is tucked into one side of the figure’s riding saddle – perhaps as a reference to the typical food a woodland pig might eat. With open mouth and open stride, it is easy to imagine a child riding a carousel on this figure with gay abandon.