Vase-hog

thanks photographer m-l nguyen via wikimedia commons. PD:US

Between 3300 and 3100 years ago, a craftsman in what's now Iran decided to fashion an alabaster vase.  The page for this artifact at the Louvre identifies it as a piglet or hedgehog, but it's clearly the latter to me.  Hedgehogs were sacred animals to the people of ancient Iran, because they ate ants and other troublesome bugs; the Zoroastrians believed hedgehogs were good beings combating the bug manifestations of evil.  Here is what their scriptures (the Zend-Avesta) say about these creatures, which they mistakenly considered a
type of dog:
* * *
Holiness of the dog Vanghapara ('the hedgehog '). . .
1. Which is the good creature among the creatures of the Good Spirit that from midnight till the sun is up goes and kills thousands of the creatures of the Evil Spirit?
2. Ahura Mazda answered : 'The dog with the prickly back, with the long and thin muzzle, the dog Vanghapara, which evil-speaking people call the Duzaka; this is the good creature among the creatures of the Good Spirit that from midnight till the sun is up goes and kills thousands of the creatures of the Evil Spirit.
3. 'And whosoever, O Zarathustra! shall kill the dog with the prickly back, with the long and thin muzzle, the dog Vanghipara . .  .kills his own soul for nine generations, nor shall he find a way over the Kmvzid bridge, unless he has, while alive, atoned for his sin.

strauss' dog serves in the cause of fame

In which Johann Strauss the younger relies on his pet retriever to help keep the fanbase happy.

* * *

When Strauss visited America the "Blue Danube " waltzes were as well known in the States as "Yankee Doodle," and thus, when the composer was found to be a handsome, dapper little man, with lovely eyes, and a mass of wavy black hair, almost as extravagantly long as Paderewski's, the musical women went almost wild over him. The musician at the time was a great dog-fancier, and was accompanied by a magnificent black retriever. Towards the end of the concert season, a young lady conceived the idea of securing a lock of Strauss's hair for her locket. The fad became the fashion, and the "king of waltz music" promised every fair applicant a memento; and in due course the locks were distributed—many hundreds of them, too, each one accompanied with the compliments of the composer.

Sufficient hair had been cut off and distributed to make Strauss look as though he had been sand-papered; yet, when he left the States his locks were as abundant as before —but—when the beautiful black-haired retriever took its departure, the poor animal looked like a shorn poodle.

--  From Frederick James Crowest, Musicians' Wit, Humour, & Anecdote (Walter Scott, 1902) pp. 7-8.

finery for friday: black goes with everything

thanks wikimedia commons (PD:US)

Do you really want to go out?  You got all dressed up, and all those people are expecting you to show up and make chat and nibble politely on whatever without putting a foot wrong or getting anything stuck in your teeth.  How tiresome.  And how beautiful your black cat looks lolling against the fresh lettuce green of your dress.  Who would appreciate you more?
That's the sense of scene I get looking at The Green Dress (1890-99) by American artist John White Alexander.  A socially prominent portrait and decorative painter, Alexander painted elements of the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to name a few.  This on the other hand is a private and gentle figure study.  Those green folds are bright and crisp, especially playing off the soft dark fur of the cat.  A contented sigh of a canvas.

rabbit yarn, 1929

thanks reusableart.com (PD)

Friend John over at It's All Good (cats) is a fount of terrific finds.  Here's a recent one:  an outtake set from a news story of March 6, 1929, in which two Seattle girls give their Angora bunnies a brushing and clipping.  Result: two spruced-up and relaxed rabbits, and one heap of yarn makings.  If only all fiber-producing animals could get the spa treatment as they gave up their fur!  Have some gentle fun watching these clips.

vintage photo time: granddad, betty, trixie and pat

present from tara m!

. . . that's what it says on the back, and I'm pretty sure which one is Granddad, but I couldn't guess who's who for the rest.

a shout out for "animals: a parallel history"

Friend of the Museum Stevan Zivkov Andricin is crafting his newest documentary around an idea whose time has come - Animal History.  I'll let his words tell the tale:

Animal lovers, this is a call to action! Your contribution will help to literally change history.
Help us raise funds for the premiere tour of our doc movie "Animals: A Parallel History", the first feature documentary about animals' participation in humankind history. Animals don't have the power of speech and their lives and fates aren't taught in schools. In this film, in more than 100 minutes, we make a modest attempt to show people the history humans and animals share. We also illustrate how, over the last 200 years and now in the 21 century, animals have become little more than machines for food and experiments. 
So, we recognize the existence of parallel history: magnificent and glorious Animal History, and this movie is the first educational tool ever.

Here's the page where RocketHub makes it superbly easy to donate and get your name on the big screen.  (You don't even have to be namechecked in the movie credits if you don't wanna - look at the bottom choice, "no gift necessary."  Which is swell for us shy animal champions.)  Every tiny bit helps this fine idea.

Want to see some clips of the documentary in development?
Here you are.
And here you are again.
There's even a theme song already, but I'm going to save that for a day or two from now.

kazumi's cat catches the sun

image by kindest permission of the artist

"Cat Nap" by Seattle artist Kazumi distills the essence of cat in pale early sun.  The morning may be underway, but the full warmth hasn't hit yet.  What's a cat to do?  In this clever and quiet little acrylic, Kazumi shows she knows:  stretch out those toes and wait.  Have a look at her Etsy shop, and here's the piece on Flickr - "Cat and Lizard" - that made me ask her to let me post.
It's Monday.  Take a breath, stretch those toes and wait.

a hunting scene on glass, 1593

Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.

When I think of how long glasses don't last in my house, I marvel afresh at the four centuries this beautiful German drinking vessel has been around.  Its information page at the Getty (be sure and look at the other side views too) offers a commentary from a 17th-c French visitor regarding the pride Germans took in their fine glasses. The page also explains the importance hunting held as a favorite activity (these days we may disagree), so much so that a type of this enameled glassware was named for it: Jagdhumpen, "hunt beaker."
You may imagine these were kept for the parties afterward.  Bringing them along on a tear through the woods isn't a good way to have them for long.  I'm sure someone must have tried.

happy friday! more treats from my aunt

all images believed PD:US. please notify if known otherwise

TGIF, everyone!  I thought you might like to finish out the week with a few more treats from aunt Melinda, such as this cat being a hat (a beret, by the floppy look of it).

1920's, by the look of it. . . two pretty brunettes.

I'll never get to take any of my dogs on so stylish a ride.

I think this is Mary Pickford.  Can anyone back me up on that?

the animals of wwi - #3 in the series by laura brown

library of congress pan 6a33974 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pan.6a33974

(Military horses on parade, July 4 1918.  Click here to see the photo at the original Library of Congress page, and much bigger!)
Museum friend Laura Brown has published #3 in her series on the animals of World War I.  This month she examines the huge role horses played in that war.  Do you think you know the whole story?  Bet you don't, and I think you will be surprised.  (Also sorry.  War is hell.)  Please read Laura's excellent article here.

a (too) well trained terrier, 1804

In which a cute running gag about a money-grubbing dog goes a few shillings too far. . .

* * *

The late Mr. William Taylor, who kept the Marlborough Head public-house in Bishopsgate-street, had a very small Terrier Dog, which had been so well instructed to notice money wherever he found it, that the writer observes, he has frequently seen the master strew a handful of halfpence on the floor or table, before the Dog, and desire him to be careful. The animal would then instantly fill his mouth, and scrape the rest with his fore paws under his breast; clearly indicating how zealous he was to protect the property his master was so fond of. If a halfpenny was thrown by any of the guests through an iron grating in the parlour, communicating to the cellar, the Dog would immediately dart down stairs, and return not till he found it.

Once, when his master was particularly busy with a gentleman in the parlour, the Dog came to him in a very importunate manner, scratched his feet, whined, and made every effort in his power to attract his master's notice, but without effect; as he was then so deeply engaged in conversation, as to be quite insensible of his faithful servant's gestures, until at length, recovering from his reverie, he involuntarily looked down, when, to his great astonishment, he found his faithful little Dog closely guarding a small dirty bag, which, on opening, he found it to contain fourteen shillings and ninepence, which no doubt had been the property of some poor person; but from whence the Dog brought the hoard the master could never discover.

From Joseph Taylor, The general character of the dog: illustrated by a variety of original and interesting anecdotes (London: Darton and Harvey, 1804) pp. 144-6

a self-assured dog and master

Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program

This is John Whetham of Kirklington, by the great British painter Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797). The year is 1779-80, and Whetham's having a bit of fun with having his portrait painted.  It seems his bright outfit is a fancy-dress adaptation of Hungarian military garb (here's what the Getty has to say about it). But when you're a gentleman landowner, you know you can pretty much do as you like, and that's a sort of confidence that spills over even onto your loyal collie.  I'm delighted by the dog's draped paw and relaxed gaze as he basks in the glow of his master.  Though personally I feel Whetham could stand to do some basking in his handsome dog's glory, in turn.

Wright of Derby is famed as one of the artists whose work best captured the spirit of the British Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment.  Though that inquiring spirit led some British scientists to animal experimentation, an activity to which I strongly object, I find it hard to believe that Wright was untouched by the sensibility animals show. While it's true that an adoring dog is an expected part of a grand man's trappings, these fellows have a warmth and ease in their togetherness that Wright wouldn't invent.

a st. patrick's day post: the mighty irish wolfhound

(PD) loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3g10979/

Isn't everyone part Irish today?  Let's not forget the Irish reputation for stout-hearted bravery, seen not least in the wolfhound. This snippet from a 1908 novel about one of the breed says it:

In the first century of our era, Mesroida, the King of the Leinstermen, had an Irish Wolfhound which was so mighty in battle that it was said to defend the whole province, and to fill all Ireland with its fame. For this hound, six thousand cows, besides other property, were offered by the King of Connaught, and about the same price was offered by the King of Ulster. Irish Wolfhounds fought regularly in battle, through the early centuries of our era; and fearsome warriors they were. Right down to the period of a couple of centuries ago, a leash of Irish Wolfhounds was considered a fitting and acceptable present for one monarch, or lord, to offer to another king or great noble; while from the earliest times, down to the day of Buffon, and, in our own time, "Stonehenge," the naturalists have written of the Irish Wolfhound as the greatest, that is finest, and "tallest of all dogs."

Alec John Dawson, Finn the Wolfhound (London:  Grant Richards, 1908), p. 26

great vintage pet postcards from my aunt

all images here believed public domain

My aunt surprised me with a whole bunch of vintage treats in my inbox yesterday.  I haven't seen ANY of these before, so I bet you haven't either.  Let's enjoy a bit of Sunday morning nostalgia.  For example, I wonder who that strapping young cat above is supposed to be - the carnation is a nice touch.

But why do these puppies look so sad?

I like how the kittens are sizing up the biggest puppy as if they're going to take him down.

"Tendrement" means tenderly or fondly.  And this is how I will leave you to have a restful Sunday.

Thanks, aunt Melinda!

itty bitty kitty book party

Tuesday night I had the fun and fortune of attending the book release party for Itty Bitty Kitty Committee, The Ultimate Guide to All Things Kitten.  This book of well-tested kitten care was written by Laurie Cinotto of the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee Blog, one of the longest blogfriends of the Museum.  Read her post on the party here!  I was able after all these years to shake Laurie's hand and give her a hug, and take a souvenir snap of a tired yet so patient Wylla Stout . . . and here she is.

It's Wee Wylla herself!

i took this!

Warmest congratulations to Laurie and her feline team, and highest recommendations for her book.  Also, thanks for a great party, King's Books.

cats in love, late 17th c

Thomas Flatman reality checks romance with the lords of the rooftops, 1686:

An Appeal to Cats in the business of Love,
A SONG. 

Ye Cats that at midnight spit love at each other, 

Who best feel the pangs of a passionate Lover, 

I appeal to your scratches, and your tattered furr, 

If the business of Love be no more than to Purr. 

Old Lady Grimalkin with her Gooseberry eyes, 

Knew something when a Kitten, for why she was wise; 

You find by experience the Love fit's soon o'r, 

Puss! Puss! lasts not long.but turns to Cat-whore. 

     Men ride many Miles, 

     Cats tread many Tiles, 

     Both hazard their necks in the Fray, 

     Only Cats, when they fall 

     From a House, or a Wall, 

     Keep their feet, mount their Tails, and away.

-- Thomas Flatman, Poems and Songs (London: Printed for Benjamin Tooke, 1686), p. 122.

a baby duchess and her dog

thanks wikimedia commons. (PD:US)

This is Maria Apollonia di Savoy (1594-1656).  In this portrait by one of the circle of Jan Kraeck, she's about 18 - 24 months old, a perfect age to stagger about happily in her 16th-century wheelie walker. (What are those called, anyway?)  At her side, calm as can be, sits a tubby and nondescript dog.  He doesn't seem at all worried where those wheels might go.  He simply seems happy to watch her go along and offer his doggy support.  Go get 'em, little duchess.  Interesting note: this placid toddler, daughter of Charles Emmanuel I , Duke of Savoy, grew up to become a nun.

high up cat party

thanks vintage printable.  (PD)

A jolly, fanciful color plate of cats on a tiny rooftop (or is it great big cats on a normal roof?). French, no date, but lots of fun.

cat wallpaper, france 1800

Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie, EST LI-23. Marked public domain

I posted some antique dog-themed wallpaper a while back.  Here's a look at some French wallpaper, dating from around 1800, featuring two peaceful scenes:  a bird on a fence, and a young woman preparing a meal while (you guessed it) a cat lifts a beseeching paw.  You can see that better in the detail below:

The description over at Gallica reads: 

Manufacture Chapillon. Papier à motif répétitif. Motif répétitif à deux chemins, en quinconce, alternant un oiseau perché sur une barrière et une femme qui donne à manger à son chat : [papier peint]

Translated:  Manufacture Chapillon. Repeating pattern paper. Repeating pattern to two paths, staggered, alternating a bird perched on a barrier and a woman who feeds her cat: [wallpaper] (English)

medieval hamster

courtesy discardedimage. 'Oscott Psalter', England ca. 1265-1270.  British Library, Add 50000, fol. 35r

Whatever this funny creature may actually have been, it probably wasn't a hamster, as those pouchy critters were unknown to the Western world till 1774 and not much then.  Not till the early 20th century were these plump golden rodentia in any way a familiar sight in European / American parts.  Before then, hamsters were busy wreaking havoc upon crops in the Near East, earning themselves a local Arabic name that meant "Mister Saddlebags."  Now they keep you up at night with their squealy wheels and entertain you with the how-many-sunflower-seeds-in-your-face game, when they're not selling cute cheap cars.  The story of how they got over here is interesting - Smithsonian magazine will tell you all about it.

dog chapel

Thanks to Atlas Obscura, I've learned that somewhere in Vermont, on a place called Dog Mountain, there exists a chapel/gallery where dogs and their love are celebrated on every square inch.  It's the Dog Chapel in Saint Johnsbury, and stands as a testament to just how much dogs can inspire from us puny humans.

The Dog Mountain website is a colorful exploration of the chapel, the gallery, and the man behind it.  Stephen Huneck was a woodworking artist who suffered a life-threatening illness in 1994.  After emerging from a coma and coming home to his wife Gwen and their three dogs, he began celebrating the love and healing power of his pets through woodcuts. The success of these works enabled him to build the Dog Chapel, where people could have a space to gain closure over the passing of their beloved furry family members and celebrate them.  It's a marvelous idea and even more marvelous reality, and you can see it today.  Sadly, Stephen Huneck lost his battle with depression in 2010 - what a tragic end for someone with such a gift for art and love.  Yet he did leave this marvelous place to carry on his idea, and you will delight in it.
Visit Dog Mountain.

mighty warrior kitties, and the other guy

image in public domain

Proud Mrs. S. H. Bond snapped this 1902 photo of her mighty lords of the hearth:
Rustum
Menelik III
Artaxerxes
and
Mr. Toodles
. . . wait. . .
From The United States Register and Studbook for Cats, Vol. I, Mabel Cornish Bond, ed. (United States Official Register Association, 1906), p. 108.

polished grooming, child and dog

thanks wikipaintings.org (PD)

Here's John Singer Sargent around 1882 with a portrait of young Beatrice Townsend.  Her parents were part of Sargent's circle in Florence Italy, and I can't help but wonder if that's where this lovely child got her dress sense. (Admittedly, it's probably her mother's dress sense.) I don't believe it was common in 1880's America to dress a girl child in black unless there was mourning in the house.  This does not look like a mourning costume - not with that waist sash.
But what I want to get at is this: once you've stopped looking at the shiny, sleek perfection of Beatrice, do notice how very clean and silky her shaggy dog looks.  Granted, he must be meant as a comic foil, but he's clearly been made comb-perfect and shiny.  I don't often post on Sargent because he's everywhere and I prefer to explore, but this one I could not resist.

catch the screeking rat

Here's a 16th-century poem in which a loving admirer thinks how great it would be if he could be his lady's cat.

The Lover,

Whose Mistresse feared a Mouse, 

declareth that he would become a Cat 

if he might have his desire.

IF I might alter kind,
What, think you, I would be?
Not Fish, nor Foule, nor Fle, nor Frog,
Nor Squirrel on the Tree;
The Fish, the Hooke, the Foule
The lymed Twig doth catch,
The Fle, the Finger, and the Frog
The Bustard doth dispatch.

The Squirrel thinking nought,
That feately cracks the nut;
The greedie Goshawke wanting prey,
In dread of Death doth put;
But scorning all these kindes,
I would become a Cat,
To combat with the creeping Mouse,
And scratch the screeking Rat.

I would be present, aye,
And at my Ladie's call,
To gard her from the fearfull Mouse,
In Parlour and in Hall;
In Kitchen, for his Lyfe,
He should not shew his hed; 

The Pease in Poke should lie untoucht
When shee were gone to Bed.

The Mouse should stand in Feare,
So should the squeaking Rat;
All this would I doe if I were
Converted to a Cat.

Attributed to George Turberville (English, circa 1540-1597) in Concerning Cats: A Book of Poems by Many Authors, Rosamund Marriott Watson, ed. (F. A. Stokes Company, 1892) pp. 36-7.