You Are Here – Lucerne (prototype)

I continue discovering more and more prototypes from the private collection that is currently being sold on eBay. While this You Are Here – Lucerne prototype has already found a new owner, I believe it is worth documenting for fellow collectors.

As you can see from the pictures below, the only difference between this prototype and the mug that was eventually released in stores is the lion on the back. In the prototype, the lion is white, whereas the production version features a blue lion. Personally, I prefer the final design, as the darker color allows for more detail and gives the figure greater visual depth.

An interesting detail connected to the Lion of Lucerne rock relief is the long-running legend of the “hidden pig.” According to the popular story, sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen became frustrated after learning that payment for the monument might be delayed or reduced, so he secretly shaped the rocky niche surrounding the lion to resemble the outline of a pig as a form of protest. If you know where to look, the silhouette can indeed resemble a pig’s profile, which has helped keep the tale alive for generations. However, modern historians generally regard this story as a myth rather than a documented fact. Whether intentional or not, the supposed pig has become a fascinating piece of Lucerne folklore and remains one of the most frequently discussed curiosities surrounding Switzerland’s most famous monument.