Description:  A very nice manganese glazed redware penny bank in the form of a cat figurine made in the studios of Lester Breininger. The piece, which is dated 1988, represents a cat sitting on his hind legs and having his front legs fully stretched. The cat has its head turned sideways to face you with its ears perked up. It is glazed with a beautiful brown colored glaze. The coloring has black or dark brown splotches indicative of manganese glaze throughout. The bank has the coin slot in the back of the cat. The piece is marked as to the maker and dated on the base. It shows very little details beside the general shape of the cat and with the head showing depression for the eyes and a raised portion for the nose and mouth. The legs are sort of blended into the body but you get the gist. There is also a slight raised line in the back suggesting a tail. The base of the bank is unglazed and shows the color of unglazed redware. Very interesting penny bank. Of course, such pieces were toys for the children in the old days in Pennsylvania Dutch families. A nicely done early piece by the master, Lester Breininger, himself. Please carefully review the photos presented as they are part and parcel of our description.

Date:  1988.

Origin:  Robesonia, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Size:  The bank is ~4 3/4" high and the base is ~2 7/8" by~2". The piece weighs about 8 ounces.

Maker:  Lester Breininger.

Marks:  "Breininger Pottery; 1988; PA" incised in block capital letters on the base.

Distinguishing Characteristics - Most Interesting About The Piece:  This is a rather nice and relatively scarce redware penny bank. A definite beauty deserving of a prominent spot in any redware collection mad bby the master potter, Lester Breininger, himself. Mr. Breininger is a master potter with Pennsylvania Dutch heritage who died in 2011 making hos ware very desirable and highly collectible.

Condition:   The piece is in very good condition. It has no cracks, hairlines, chips, or repairs. The piece has no crazing to the glaze but has a small ding or spot where the glaze was lost due to a sharp pointed hit on the back. You can see the spot in the 3rd photo in the lower left corner of the cat's back. The piece also has some of the usual defects that you would expect to find in a primitive piece of pottery such as pops, slubs, uneven areas, some roughness to the surface, and areas where the glaze did not fully flow. The piece has many pops throughout with 3 rather obvious pops in the back near the bottom in the middle (see 3rd photo). These are original to the making giving the piece a special personality and do not affect the quality or beauty of the piece. Be that as it may, the piece is still a very nice and scarce penny bank worthy of a spot in your collection of Breininger redware or pottery penny banks. Please see photos to appreciate its beauty and for additional condition information.