Three-Legged Good Luck Piggies

In Chile, small pigs are considered lucky. Small, three-legged pigs are even luckier. They are usually made out of pottery and given to friends as a token of good luck.

I have a few of these pottery piggies that I bought at a Smithsonian gift shop. I made the first Three-Legged Good Luck Piggy to be given in a Yule gift exchange. He took an amazing four hours to complete, a time that still baffles me (really because it's longer than a Garden Gnome and I feel the Gnomes are more complex) and I've been completely unable to reduce that at all.

The first Yule Piggy

While my Three-Legged Good Luck Piggies are not pottery, they are made with the same care and good intentions as any traditional chanchito. I have since refined the pattern from the first Yule piggy. Every subsequent piggy has taken four to six hours to complete.

A rust-colored Piggy

What is really interesting is that every piggy has a different stance and curious, almost bemused, facial expression.

An albino Piggy

I enjoy making these guys, despite how long they take to craft. They will be a feature in the shop.