sutton059

thanks british library flickr In which a scrappy black poodle of Oxford College is lauded for his own particular qualities. TO PUFFLES. OH Puffles, matted and hirsute, Thou more than dog, thou less than brute Thou foe to cat, and rat, and bird, Thou friend of man, thou beast absurd, Thou dearest torment, genial curse, That try'st my temper and my purse— With what exulting headlong pace Thou dost the mocking sparrow chase, And then careering back again Dost fill the street with yelping strain; Or mud-bedraggled, leapest up Upon my coat, exuberant pup! While women fly and wheelmen curse, And children crying, cling to nurse. Thy ropy locks, thy dangling ears Excite the host of prowling curs: They, jealous of thy charms, combine To wage on thee the war canine: Thou fighting only when thou must Dost roll the mongrels in the dust, Then, clement as a dog of breed, Leavest them peaceably to bleed. And yet, the foe of all thy kind, Thou hast a very gentle mind, Though apt to fiercely bark l...

Vladimir Borovikovsky [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 1814: a well-to-do, artistic young couple poses with their woolly poodle.  This portrait of A.A. and A.G. Lobonov-Rostovsky - I can't figure out which is which - was painted by Vladimir Borovikovsky (Ukrainian-Russian, 1757-1825).  A popular portrait painter, he grew up in a family of icon illuminators.  I wonder if that has anything to do with the luminosity his portraits often show; those of his sitters who are young and/or beautiful often seem lit from within.  In this case that even extends to the dog:

all photographs by your friendly curator This past weekend we made a short road trip to the Oregon Garden in Silverton, where 80 acres of themed plantings include a pet-friendly garden.  The star of that garden is "Max," a yellow lab in bronze, created by Portland sculptor Jim Gion .  "Max" serves as a tribute to two Garden supporters, as you see from the plaque: And here's another view of Max in his domain.

Gift of Mrs. Charlene S. Kornblum and Dr. S. Sanford Kornblum (M.2017.41) www.lacma.org Though this puppy is crafted of paulownia wood and glazed with gofun (a white made of ground oyster shell), his spiffy bib is made of silk.  That bib has stayed bright since a craftsman tied it on him in mid-19th century Japan.  Speaking of bright, don't you love his little red toenails?  For another view of him from the side, visit his page at the LA County Museum of Art and look for View 2.

THE DOG. Dogs begin by being puppies, All of them, both great and small; But a pup, when he grows up, is Often not a dog at all. Ask the crafty sausage seller, Keeping meanwhile near the door, Where he gets his meat, and—well-er, Perhaps we’d better say no more. Then again, the oily Moses, Fat cigar and diamond pin, Oft I wonder if he knows his Coat is lined with canine skin. Thus the little dog, no matter What his walk in life may be— Sausage-meat, pet, hound, or ratter, Spends his time most usefully. -- Lang, Arthur, 1892-1916. Verses. Glasgow: J. Maclehose, 1917. p. 35.  Arthur Lang (1892-1916) was a Scottish soldier killed in action in WWI.  His poetry, shared privately among friends, was collected and published in remembrance after his death.  Most of it is wryly humorous, as you can see from the selection above.

www.rijkmuseum.nl Jonkheer P.A. van den Velden Bequest, The Hague Leonbergers are large dogs (males run 110-170 lbs.), known for their intelligence and gentle dispositions.  You can see that in this chalk and watercolor portrait by the Dutch artist Otto Eerelman, who was particularly known for his work with dogs.

image copyright and by kindest permission of the curatorial spouse What better way for an artist to test the fancy frame he's making than. . .  by featuring the Kat Von D?  Right?  I'm right.

image copyright and by kindest permission of the artist Carol Ross of St. Louis, MO creates ceramics that are formed to be useful, and decorated to be delightful. Here's a bowl from her Etsy shop, The Clay Bungalow , with a bold, jolly cat and his intended menu (and birds and flowers thrown in for good measure). Look at his little feet and hands! Ross says of this piece, "There's that sly cat in the center of a stoneware, sgraffito carved bowl and he's ready to pounce on the scrambling mouse who's trying to make his getaway. Funny little birds and flowers encircle the cat. Mexican pottery influenced the design." Look at the powerful raven on this mug .  Or this one , with a rabbit sketched in delicate strokes.  How about these lucky elephants ?  Ross has a wonderful feel for different folkways in art.  Do visit and enjoy.

Elizabeth Custer (1842-1933), the wife of George Armstrong Custer, had been raised in comfort and privilege as a judge's daughter.  Even so, she readily followed her husband wherever he went on his military career despite the discomforts of travel.  After Custer's death, "Libbie" Custer devoted her energies to his image, publishing popular books on his life and the adventures she had shared with him. From her first, Boots and Saddles (1885), here's a passage about camping on the plains and how the family dogs found the comfiest digs: While we were all getting accustomed to the new climate, it was of no use to try to keep the dogs out of my tent. They stood around, and eyed me with such reproachful looks if I attempted to tie up the entrance to the tent and leave them out. If it were very cold when I returned from the dining-tent, I found dogs under and on the camp-bed, and so thickly scattered over the floor that I had to step carefully over them to avoid hurting...

www.philamuseum.org 1957-95-1 Gift of Walter M. Jeffords, 1957 "Thomas, Phipps; Philadelphia 1786." says the engraving on this brass dog collar. It's thin metal, and I assume (and hope) it was able to flex open just enough for Thomas Phipps to pop his dog's neck within its confines.

public domain This is a "Mimick, or Gethulian-Dog," as recorded by Edward Topsell in his natural history of c. 1600.  It's described as "being apt to imitate all things it seeth, for which cause some have thought that it was conceived by an Ape; but in face sharpe and black like a Hedge-hog, having a short recurved body; very long legs, shaggie hair, and a short tail..."  Apparently in ancient Egypt this sort of dog was taught all manner of tricks.  Whatever breed could this have been? Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?.  The History of Four-footed Beasts And Serpents...  The whole rev., cor. and inl. with the addition of two useful physical tables, by J[ohn] R[owland] M.D. London: Printed by E. Cotes, for G. Sawbridge [etc.], 1658. p. 127.

Attributed to John P. Soule (American, 1827 - 1904) [Kitten on pedestal], about 1871, Albumen silver print Gift of Weston J. and Mary M. Naef 1871:  a stereographic albumen silver photograph, probably by John P. Soule , in which a kitten takes its rightful place atop a pedestal.

From a 20th-century collection of 1200 Russian proverbs comes this selection, none of which I think I've seen before. Manure does not shame the field. The horse is often wiser than its rider. A stupid dog is not a tiger. The dog that likes to eat partridges is of no use to the hunter. If you deal with dogs, learn how to bark. The cat saw the camel and immediately arched its back. Old mice like fresh lard. If the cat can't eat the fish with its mouth, it will eat it with its eyes. ( Too true - curator ) A wet poodle does not fear water. --  Langnas, Izaak Abram, 1911-.  1200 Russian Proverbs.  New York: Philosophical Library, 1960.  Passim.

found at http://discardingimages.tumblr.com Start your Sunday with this trio of performers and their lovely lightness of foot and paw.  Here's a closeup: This scene is found in the manuscript known as "The Maastricht Hours" on folio 112.  Here's the whole page .  You might also enjoy this blog post on " Medieval Dog Tricks " - I did.