Among the more characterful animal designs created during the original Links of London years, the Pig in Boots Charm stands apart for its humour, movement and unmistakable personality.

Crafted in sterling silver, the charm depicts a small walking pig wearing four individually modelled boots. The idea is immediately playful, but the design is carefully resolved: upright ears, a projecting snout, a curled tail and a long body establish the animal clearly before the exaggerated footwear gives it its distinctive identity.

Known from surviving records as the Pig in Boots Charm, the design carries the original Links of London product reference 5030.1220.

Silver pig wearing boots charm angled view

A Pig Prepared for the Journey

The central joke of the design is simple and effective. Rather than giving the pig one decorative accessory, Links of London placed a boot on each of its four feet.

The raised toes create a sense of movement, making the animal appear as though it is walking with purpose. That detail gives the charm a storybook quality without turning it into a literal illustration of a known character.

It is not simply a pig charm with footwear added as an afterthought. The boots shape the entire stance of the figure and give the design much of its personality.

Links of London pig charm showing curled tail

The Playful Side of the Charm Archive

Links of London produced charms based on hearts, letters, landmarks, animals and familiar objects. Some were sentimental, some commemorative and some simply designed to make the wearer smile.

The Pig in Boots belongs firmly to that last group.

Its appeal lies in the unexpected combination of an ordinary farm animal and carefully formed footwear. The subject is humorous, but the polished sterling silver and compact proportions keep it within the visual language of the wider Links of London collection.

That balance between wit and finish is one reason the original animal charms remain so collectable.

Pig in Boots Charm with standard oval bail

A Recognisable Animal in Miniature

Even at only 18mm long, the charm reads clearly as a pig.

The long body, pointed ears, round eye, projecting snout and curled tail establish the silhouette. Each leg is separately modelled, allowing the four boots to remain visible from different angles.

The charm is also fully three-dimensional rather than being formed as a flat profile. This means the figure changes as it moves on a bracelet or necklace, revealing the boots, tail and body from either side.

Three-dimensional sterling silver pig charm

Why the Boots Matter

Without the boots, the charm would be a neatly modelled silver pig. With them, it becomes a character.

The footwear introduces scale and imagination. Boots belong to the human world, so placing them on a pig creates an immediate visual contradiction. Links of London used that contrast to turn a familiar animal motif into something more memorable.

The result is light-hearted without becoming crude. The humour comes from the object itself rather than from an inscription or added explanation.

Vintage Links of London farm animal charm

A Design with Storybook Character

The name naturally brings to mind the tradition of animals wearing clothes in fairy tales and illustrated stories. There is, however, no surviving evidence that Links of London presented the charm as a direct reference to a particular literary character or tale.

It is more accurate to understand it as an imaginative animal design with a storybook spirit.

That ambiguity is part of its appeal. The charm suggests a narrative without defining one. The pig may be going somewhere, dressed for weather, or simply enjoying unusually elaborate footwear. The wearer is left to decide.

Polished silver Pig in Boots pendant charm

Original Product Reference 5030.1220

Surviving records identify the design with the Links of London product reference 5030.1220.

The recovery of original references is valuable because it helps distinguish established Links of London designs from later marketplace descriptions. In this case, the surviving name and reference both support the identity of the piece as the Pig in Boots Charm.

An exact launch year, original UK recommended retail price and complete catalogue description have not yet been recovered.

Hallmarked 2009 Links of London pig charm

A Hallmarked 2009 Example

The example held in The Vault is hallmarked LL, 925 with a date letter for 2009.

That hallmark securely dates this particular charm, although it does not necessarily establish when the design was first introduced or how long it remained in production.

Its dimensions are:

• Length: 18mm
• Height: 10mm
• Height including jump ring: 13mm
• Width: 6mm

Links of London animal charm with boot-shaped feet

Designed for Bracelet or Necklace Wear

The charm is fitted with the standard Links of London oval pendant and charm bail, measuring approximately 9mm × 7mm. It will accommodate a suitable necklace or bracelet up to 5mm wide.

Vintage Links of London Pig in Boots Charm sterling silver

Its elongated horizontal form makes the pig easy to recognise when worn as a small pendant. It can also be attached to a Sweetie bracelet using the supplied split ring, where the three-dimensional figure can move freely among other charms.

Sterling silver walking pig charm side view

In The Vault

The vintage example now held in The Vault has been professionally cleaned and polished and remains in great condition. It is supplied with a split ring for Sweetie bracelet attachment.

Links of London silver pig charm wearing four boots

The Links of London Pig in Boots Charm captures an important part of the original house’s character. It is imaginative, beautifully modelled and immediately recognisable, turning the unlikely sight of a pig in four boots into a compact piece of sterling silver design.

Vintage Pig in Boots Charm by Links of London