Vintage Ceramic Sad Clown Piggy Bank with Heart

This item is a vintage-style ceramic coin bank depicting a seated child clown. The figure is constructed from molded earthenware or slip-cast ceramic with a matte, cold-painted finish. The clown features sculpted, reddish-brown curly hair peeking out from a light blue striped nightcap or sleeping hat, which contains the coin slot at the crown. The face is painted in a traditional circus style with large white eye patches, closed eyelashes suggesting sleep or sadness, a round red nose, and a wide red smile. The clown wears a ruffled blue collar, a light blue tunic with a yellow bow tie, and holding a red heart decorated with small yellow dots or hearts. The overall color palette is muted, consisting of dusty blues, creams, reds, and yellows. In terms of condition, the item shows significant signs of age and wear including 'cold paint' loss, where the pigment has flaked off the ceramic surface, particularly visible on the hair and the edges of the hat. There is visible surface grime and staining on the cream-colored arms and face. No manufacturer marks are visible from this angle, but the style is consistent with 1970s or 1980s novelty ceramics often produced in Japan or Taiwan for the giftware market. The craftsmanship is characterized by mid-range mass production, with soft molded details and hand-painted accents.