Pig bladder

A pig bladder or pig's bladder is the urinary bladder of a domestic pig, similar to the human urinary bladder. Today, this 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

The pig bladder has several traditional ceremonial uses in Europe. It is traditional during the festival Fasching in Bad Aussee to brandish inflated pig bladders on sticks. Similarly, in Xinzo de Limia, Spain, inflated pig bladders are carried during Carnival. See also Clown society and Jester and Gigantes y cabezudos and Vejigante.

In traditional Germanic communities a public Schlachtfest (of a pig) is announced by hanging the pig's inflated bladder in front of the host establishment. The bladder is used as a casing for several traditional food items, including the sausages known as ventricina and sobrassada.

Historical uses

Historically the pig bladder was used in sports, as the airtight membrane ("bladder") inside a football^{[when defined as?]}. In the early 19th century the inventor William Gilbert used pig bladders in the manufacture of rugby balls. Decades later, Richard Lindon did the same. (See also 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.

References

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

[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.

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v t e Pigs
Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Artiodactyla Suborder Suina Family Suidae Subfamily Suinae Genus Sus Species Sus domesticus
Domestic	Breeding Shows Farming Intensive farming Sty Pannage Toilet Hog oiler Gestation crate Cross-fostering Swineherd Feedback As food Bacon Bondiola Capocollo Ham Lard Pork Chitterlings Scalder Slaughter Suckling Blood Religious restrictions Scottish pork taboo Cuts Back bacon Boston butt Fatback Ham hock Pig's trotters Pork belly Pork chop Pork jowl Loin Tenderloin Ribs Spare ribs Pork rind Pork steak Ear Tail Other uses Bladder Racing War Wrestling Truffling
Wild and feral	Wild boar Heraldry Hunting Razorback Boar–pig hybrid
In culture	Freddy the Pig Flitch of bacon custom Floyd of Rosedale Miss Piggy "Pigs in Space" Porky Pig Piglet "The Three Little Pigs" Animal Farm Old Major Napoleon Snowball Squealer Babe Babe: Pig in the City Bad Piggies Blandings Castle Empress of Blandings My Brother the Pig Charlotte's Web The Sheep-Pig Peppa Pig Super Pig Butareba: The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig Fair, then Partly Piggy Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks Kazoops! Olivia (character) TV series Pink Floyd pigs Pinky and Perky Preston Pig Rasher Porco Rosso Spider-Ham Spider pig The Tale of Little Pig Robinson The Tale of Pigling Bland "This Little Piggy" Toot & Puddle Huxley Pig Wibbly Pig Zhu Bajie Hamilton Hocks Pig City
Other	List of individual pigs List of fictional pigs Piganino Pigasus (politics)
Category: Pigs