Noble Greek Canine

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About the Item

An exceptional carved sandstone model of a seated Molossian Hound with a docked tail, a replica of a 2nd-c. Roman copy of a Hellenistic bronze; known as the Dog of Alcibiades, the Jennings Dog or the Duncombe Dog. The Hellenistic sculpture the “Dog of Alcibiades” was modeled on a Molossian dog, ancestor of the modern mastiff. Henry Constantine Jennings of Shiplake, UK acquired the only known Roman copy of the lost bronze original, dating from the 2nd century, during his stay in Rome between 1753 and 1756 when he rescued it for £80 from a pile of rubble in a Roman sculpture workshop. Jennings liked to call the sculpture “The Dog of Alcibiades”, referring to the Athenian statesman who, according to the Greek biographer and philosopher Plutarch, owned a large, handsome dog whose tail was “his principal ornament”. Alcibiades cut off his tail and when told that “all Athens” felt pity for the dog, laughed and said “I wished the Athenians to talk about this, that they might not say something worse of me.” Jennings’s motive was probably much the same, for the dog became so famous in England that the owner was called “Dog-Jennings” and replicas were thought to make “a most noble appearance in a gentleman’s hall” according to Dr. Johnson. It was considered a sign of true gentlemanly taste to own a copy of this dog. It was Jennings’ hope to associate the figure with the cachet of ancient Greek civilization. By 1816, Jennings was in debt and forced to sell his dog stating “A fine dog it was, and a lucky dog was I to purchase it.” Jennings’ s original now resides in the British Museum, London.

Dimensions:
Height: 52 in (132.08 cm)Width: 32 in (81.28 cm)Depth: 34.5 in (87.63 cm)
Place of Origin:
United Kingdom
Period:
18th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
Mid - Late 18th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Scattered small losses overall including to mouth and proper right ear.
Seller Location:
Katonah, NY
Reference Number:
Seller: 056121stDibs: 1406308644317

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