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Oregon, United States
loves: you win if you guessed "pets" and "museums". Also books, art history, travel, British punk, Korean kimchi, bindis, martinis, and other things TBD. I will always make it very clear if a post is sponsored in any way. Drop me a line at thepetmuseum AT gmail.com !

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

in ancient china: reading a dog's coat

From a 1921 book on the culture and history of dogs in China and Japan:
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The ancient "Book of the Five Elements," rather more exacting in its requirements, proves that dogs of various colours existed in early times in China, as in Assyria:
" Should a man breed :
" A black dog with white ears, he shall become rich and noble.
" A white dog with a yellow head, his family will become prosperous.
"A yellow dog with white tail, his family shall have officials in it in every generation.
" A black dog with white fore-legs, many male children will be born to the family.
" A yellow dog with white fore-legs, he will have good luck.
" The breeding of a white dog with a black head is lucky, and will bring a man riches.
"A white dog with a black tail will cause the family through all generations to ride in chariots." (Only families that had officials among their members could ride in chariots - Curator)

From V.W.F. Collier, Dogs of China & Japan in Nature and Art (New York: Stokes, 1921), pp. 48-49

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