| One of the most favorite subjects for the | | | | Pompadour, produced in Vincennes around 1750. It |
| craftsman in porcelain and earthenware has been | | | | is felt that this piece if almost certainly a Maltese. |
| toy dogs in particular. In Chinese work it has been | | | | The little Maltese is now a rare collector's piece. |
| hard to distinguish between the lion and the dog. | | | | The toy spaniel is another breed of toy dog that |
| The lion-dog and the dog-lion share a lot of | | | | has been a favorite of the pottery modeler over |
| Chinese myth. The dogs of Fo during the reign of | | | | the centuries. At one time most all households had |
| K'ang Hsi were dogs, however, and not lions. In | | | | a representation in pottery of their pet dog, or |
| the city of Peking in 1680 the Emperor K'ang His | | | | even a pair of dogs, sitting on their mantelpiece. |
| set up an imperial kiln. At that time it was possible | | | | Most of these were most likely toy spaniels, |
| there were a million people working porcelain at | | | | almost certainly Cavalier King Charles spaniels. |
| 3,000 kilns. This production situation has never | | | | They were produced by the thousands, but do |
| been matched. | | | | have a great charm. The details of the face were |
| Dogs of Fo, also sometimes called guardian lions, | | | | hand-painted and each one was slightly different. |
| are found frequently, generally in pairs and usually | | | | Younger people did most of the color work on |
| with the male playing with the traditional woven | | | | these pieces, which gave the pieces an air of |
| ball and the female with one of her cubs. Dogs of | | | | enjoyment and youth in keeping with the whole |
| Fo were made in huge quantities between the | | | | character of toy dogs in general. |
| years of 1662 and 1722. They were without | | | | In the years of 1820 to 1850 the majority of |
| doubt small dogs of the Pekingese type. It has | | | | these pieces was sold at country fairs and was |
| often been said that it is very doubtful the | | | | surprisingly high quality. By early Victorian times |
| Chinese ever saw a real lion during this time they | | | | almost all cottages had pottery figures and the |
| referred to these animals as being lion-like, and | | | | dog, which was so much a part of the life of |
| that it is much more likely the Dogs of Fo, even | | | | country people, it was just a natural choice to |
| though they had somewhat of a lion look, were | | | | become a popular subject for pottery makers. |
| actually dogs and not lions. | | | | Many pottery makers made dogs, but it was |
| Pugs in pottery are seen even more frequently | | | | Staffordshire potteries that produced them the |
| than the Pekingese type of the Dogs of Fo. A | | | | thousands. |
| pottery artist named Kaendler, who created | | | | Almost every breed was modeled at some or |
| works at the Meissen factory used Pugs often. | | | | another and no two are ever absolutely identical |
| In the eighteenth-century Staffordshire potters | | | | due to each potter and painter's slightly different |
| began to produce models of Pugs. Their early | | | | style. They all did have some common features. |
| efforts were not all that nice as representations | | | | They were almost usually all white with spots and |
| of the pugs. These pieces of pottery are | | | | patches of red or gold on ears and body. They |
| becoming more and more valuable; however, | | | | usually had a padlock hanging from the collar and |
| they do not look like the typical specimen of the | | | | a chain slung across the brisket and over the |
| Pug. They are pot-bellied, long in the leg and have | | | | back, most often in gold. |
| peculiar expressions. | | | | What do all these pottery pieces of dogs tell us? |
| The French sculptor, Francois Roubiliac, created a | | | | They tell us not so much about how the dogs |
| piece that looked much more like the Pug. The | | | | looked at the time, but more that toy dogs in |
| head looks like a Pug. The tail may not be just | | | | particular, enjoyed a lot of popularity in the early |
| right and the legs are still rather long, but this was | | | | nineteenth century. Dogs, particularly the toy |
| quite an improvement from what had been | | | | dogs, were as much a family member then as |
| created earlier. It could also be that the models of | | | | they are now, and probably even more now than |
| Pugs did have longer legs. | | | | then. The pet and pet care industry is one of the |
| Sculptors are still creating Pugs today and as time | | | | most lucrative businesses there is in the year of |
| goes on, the pieces continue to look more and | | | | 2006. |
| more like a real Pug. | | | | This article is FREE to publish with the resource |
| One of the most interesting little dogs portrayed | | | | box. |
| in porcelain was the dog of Madame de | | | | |