Curious Old Pig Mold tabletop houses Earlyish 20th c I believe

Earlyish 20th c I believe

but it would also be excellent for holding important documents

I've since learned this is called a Herkules rug beater

and is to my eye a pretty perfect vessel--earthy and also really elegant

and even more so to find one as exquisite as this one

Curious Old Pig Mold tabletop houses Earlyish 20th c I believeI've had one other old toy mold in this shop similar in construction to this pig which I just found along with what looks to be a tweety bird, listed separately and find them so evocative and surreal looking, I'm quite fascinated by them. From the front, the body of the pig in profile is divided into three parts, outlined in steel and plugged with wood. It looks from the back like the mold is still filled with black stuff that hardened long ago;