Satirical swine hogging the spotlight in Cowan’s June 21 Summer Decorative Art Sale.

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati artist William Louis Sonntag’s Figures in Early Summer Landscape (est. $30,000-$40,000) is expected to top the Summer Fine and Decorative Art Sale at Cowan’s Auctions in Cincinnati, but the most amusing entries in the sale are, without a doubt, the selection of 19th-century pig-shape pottery bottles.

The group to be auctioned includes five bottles from Anna Pottery of Illinois. The satirically themed figural vessels, made by Cornwall and Wallace Kirkpatrick, have preauction estimates of $5,000-$10,000. The Kirkpatricks used clay as a vehicle to express their opinions on politics, corruption and other topical subjects of the time. The nature of these “protest pigs” caused controversy and will assuredly capture bidder attention at auction.

Also up for sale is a Tiffany cigar bowl and lighter estimated to bring $5/,000-$7,000. The bowl and lighter combination is made of exquisite gold-washed silver. The showpiece would have been displayed at the center of a communal cigar smoking room. The stories and secrets shared around this remarkable item forever remain a mystery.

For complete auction details visit Cowan's Web site.

The sale will also be broadcast live on the Web, via www.LiveAuctioneers.com.