Pig bladder

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
18th-century painting by Joseph Wright of Derby depicting boys fighting over a bladder

A pig bladder or pig's bladder is the

hollow organ has various applications in medicine
, and in traditional cuisines and customs. Historically, the pig bladder had several additional uses, all based on its properties as a lightweight, stretchable container that could be filled and tied off.

Traditional uses

Inflating a bladder

The pig bladder has several traditional ceremonial uses in Europe. It is traditional during the festival

Gigantes y cabezudos and Vejigante
.

In traditional Germanic communities a public

casing for several traditional food items, including the sausages known as ventricina and sobrassada
.

Historical uses

Richard Lindon in 1880

Historically the pig bladder was used in sports, as the airtight membrane ("bladder") inside a

Mob football, Medieval football, and La soule
.)

For centuries before the invention of the paint tube, artists used to store their paints in pig bladders. When the artist was ready to use the paint, they would puncture a hole in the bladder and squeeze out the desired amount of paint. They would have to mend the hole when finished and the whole process was quite messy. [1] The oil paint tube was invented in 1841, as the primary packaging of paints for transport and storage.[2]

In the bian lian ("face changing") style of Chinese opera, painted pig bladders were used as face masks.

See also

References

  1. ^ Finlay, Victoria. Color: A Natural History of the Palette. New York: Random, 2002. Print.
  2. ^ Callen, Anthea. The Art of Impressionism: How Impressionism Changed the Art World. Yale University Press. 2000.