The archaeological data known so far show that in neolithic sites such as Wu'an Cishan in Hebei and Xinzheng Pei Ligang in Henan, the remains of domestic dogs have been excavated, which shows that China's domestic dogs are at least 8000 to 7000 years old.
▌ Lang Shining's "Hunting Chart" vertical axis
According to the "Book of Rites and Shaoyi", the ancients raised dogs, according to their uses, are divided into: "hounds" who help their owners hunt; the "guard dogs" of the nursing house and the farmhouse, hebei Pingshan Sanji Warring States Zhongshan King Mausoleum During excavation, two complete dog bones were unearthed, and the neck was also covered with a gorgeous collar made of gold and silver, which was obviously the favorite hunting dog of the King of Zhongshan, who was killed when he died and was buried to accompany the burial.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, there was a shanglin garden built near the capital for the royal family and nobles to hunt, and the "Book of Poetry" described that when Qin Xianggong hunted, he first used a vehicle hunting dog to save his physical strength, and when he found prey, he released the dog to wait for the opportunity to hunt. In the Han Dynasty, the style of livestock dogs was more prosperous, and in the group of burial figurines in Han tombs, dog figurines were not uncommon, and pet dogs for their owners to play appeared.
As one of the crystallizations of the development of ancient Chinese pottery craftsmanship, Han Dynasty ceramic sculpture is the product of Han culture characterized by grandeur in China's feudal society. Han Dynasty ceramic sculpture is rooted in reality, focusing on the vast external world, paying attention to the reflection of real life, and at the same time pursuing a simple and ancient, majestic and energetic artistic style in terms of artistic style. Therefore, the Han Dynasty canine figurines in this period have both rough and thick beauty and the subtlety of plastic craftsmanship, which is in line with the aesthetic trend that the society at that time did not like "carved fiber text" and promoted the broad and sublime beauty.
▌ Grey pottery hound figurines
Greyhound Figurine Height 12.2 cm. The canine figurine has a strong body, a slender waist, standing on all fours, a tail upturned, a head tilted forward, ears closed, both eyes open, a mighty look, showing the image of a hound in a state of alert observation.
▌ Glazed pottery hound figurines
Glazed pottery hound figurines are 38 cm high and have a yellow-brown glaze throughout. The dog is short and robust, with upright limbs, a large proportion of the head and an upward tilt, a thick neck with a hound-like figurine circle, two ears erect, round eyes, a wide mouth, exposed canine teeth, a thick tail turned up, the shape is realistic, showing the image of a fierce barking hound.
Glazed pottery hound figurine 27 cm high, green glaze applied throughout, glaze flooded with lead. The dog is strong, with upright limbs, a tail curled upwards, a moderate proportion of the head and body, upright ears, a gorgeous collar around the neck, a double look, and a slightly open mouth, as if it is like finding something moving in the distance that is about to bark, in order to attract the attention of the owner. From the form, especially the decoration, it seems to represent the image of a noble hound.
▌ Grey pottery gatekeeper figurines
Grey pottery gatekeeper figurine Height 9.6 cm. The limbs are upright, slightly extended forward and backward, the tail is turned up, the ears are straight up, the eyes are facing each other, and the mouth is slightly open, as if the stranger enters and prepares to bark to warn and attract the attention of the owner. It presents the image of a guard dog who is dutifully watching.
Grey pottery gatekeeper figurine Height 11.5 cm. He is in a strong posture, his limbs are thick and powerful, his chest is slightly bulging, his tail is curled like an "S" shape, his neck is long, his head is slightly tilted, his ears are straight up, his eyes are warily looking straight ahead, and his mouth is slightly closed. From the form and appearance, it shows the image of a dog in a guarded state.
This article was edited and compiled from Zhang Guozhu's article "Minzang Han Dynasty Dog Figurines", which was originally published in the January 2018 issue of Collections.
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