Il PorcellinoThe Little Pig Il Porcellino (The little pig) statue outside the Sydney Hospital is a
copy of a Pietro Tacca's wild boar statue in a 17th century fountain in Marketo Nuovo, Florence. The statue
by Tacca was believed to be a copy of an ancient Greek marble boar sculpture. In 1962 five copies of Tacca's
sculpture were cast by the Florence foundry, Fonderia Ferdinando Marinelli. One of the copies was donated to
the Sydney Hospital by Marchessa Clarissa Torrigiani in memory of her father and brother. Both had been
renown surgeons at the hospital. Marchessa saved for seven years to purchase Il Porcellino. It is believed
that if you rub the boar's snout he will bring you good luck. The wild boar even has special outfits which he
wears on special occassions to help raise money for the hospital. The other copies of Il Porcellino can be
found in Califorinia, Florence, Canada (University of Waterloo) and British Colombia (Butchart Gardens,
Victoria). For more information about the "Little Pig" visit Public Art Around The World.
More About Boars
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The boar in mythology symbolises courage, strength and power as they are
strong and hard to kill. King Arthur had the head of a boar on his shield. In India 'pig sticking' was a sport
where a wild boar was speared fom horseback. During the American Civil War it was believed that many soldiers
were eaten by wild boars as they lay wounded or dying on the battlefields. In Greek legend Eneus (King of
Calydon) was punished by the Goddess Artemis for neglecting sacrifices to her. The punishment was to send a
wild boar to Calydon to reap havoc on the land. The boar was later wounded by Atalanta and killed by Meleager.
The english custom of serving the head of a boar for Christmas dinner comes from Norse mythology. Freyr the
god of peace and plenty had a boar named Gullinbursti that he rode. Freyr celebrated Yuletide with a festival
that included a sacrifice of a boar in his honour. The collective noun for a boar is a sounder of
boars.