Japanese design studio Nendo have just launched a design for a piggy bank, designed for Shinjuku department store Isetan.

The ceramic piece is part of Isetan's 'Piggy Bank Collection' exhibition, which is an official event for DesignTide Tokyo 2010

In designing the bank, Nendo delved into the history of both the name and object:

"Unravelling the history of the piggy bank, we learned that the name dates back to medieval Europe, when unused coins were saved in household jars made of unglazed reddish clay, or 'pygg'. A play on words from 'pygg' to 'pig' led to the piggy bank, and the familiar porcine objects we know today."

Nendo's version exists somewhere between 'pygg' and the 'pig'; and their 'pyggy-bank' takes this history as its design concept, offering savers a pig-snouted bottle and jar made of unglazed fired clay in which to place hard-earned coins.