dog and bear are buddies in bronze

digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program

Really big dog?  Really small bear?  The unknown Italian sculptor of this winsome pair (he probably lived in Florence, around 1600) clearly made them as a set, and took his artistic liberty with the size. The dog's massive collar is similar to those worn for bearbaiting, but these two don't look as though they are about to scrap through a round of such unpleasant sport.  That bear looks just as harmless and appealing as his fellow.  For more on this pair, including closeups of their fur texture, see their page at the Getty.