Description
Antique English pottery pearlware bocage figure known as the Tythe Pig Group.
This charming satirical figure has very decorative pine cone bocage with wonderful swirls of red and blue on the green base. The figure is from the “Patriot” group. The figure is one of the best examples with comprehensive colouring and fine attention to detail and quality.
The figure depicts Farmer Hob ( holding a pig )and his wife (holding newborn child) meeting the local vicar. The church rented land and the common practise was to levy a “tythe” as part of the rent. This practise was very tough on the poor and there was a national feeling that it should be abolished. The group captures the moment when Hob’s wife offers the baby as part of their produce and states “If you do not take the child there will no handing over of the pig”. Hence the rather startled expression on the clergyman’s face. This practice imposing a tythe eventually diminished and was replaced by other devices such as ground rent.