Well, we don't actually know the artist's name, but we know why he did it.

In medieval England, clay was known as "pygg." People would usually put their coins in their pygg dishes or jars when they came home. These were commonly referred to as "pygg banks."

An English potter, around the year 1600, was asked to make several of the pygg banks. Unfamiliar with the term, he made several banks shaped like pigs, with a slot in the backs for the coins.

The customer was not disappointed and, in fact, ordered more for friends. The charming idea caught on and quickly spread through Europe.

Interestingly, pigs - the animals - took their name from that same root word. Instead of clay made from mud, they were the animals who lived in mud.