Master Potter · Pomaire, Chile
A master potter from Pomaire and creator of the world's largest clay piggy bank. After a first pig in 2010, in 2012 he shaped a piece 1.60 m tall, 3 m long and weighing 550 kilos that is now an attraction of the town. With years of craft working Pomaire's clay, he turned an impossible idea into a unique work.
The piece that visitors see today wasn't made overnight: it was the result of two attempts, each one more ambitious than the last.
In 2010 a pig-shaped clay piggy bank was created, 0.4 meters tall and 1.55 meters long, aiming to become a Guinness record for its size. The work was presented to the Pomaire community in an exhibition parade along the town's main tourist street.
In 2012, the artisan César Silva Rojo built a clay piggy bank 1.60 meters tall by 3 meters long weighing 550 kilos. This is the piece that tourists can visit today in his own workshop.
It all starts with a dream: to create the world's largest clay piggy bank, taking Pomaire's tradition to a scale never seen before.
Sketches and calculations to define the proportions, structure and strength of a giant clay piece.
Handwork: shaping the clay with the technique inherited from generations of Pomaire potters.
Days of patience so the clay slowly loses moisture and avoids cracks in a work of this size.
The most delicate step: the kiln's fire hardens the clay and gives it its final terracotta color.
The result: the world's largest clay piggy bank, the pride of Pomaire and an attraction for its visitors.