| We have
all read many interesting histories of our beloved Pekingese, most of
them going back to the old legend of the lion who fell in love with a
marmoset. In order for him to be wedded to his lady love, the lion
begged the patron saint of the animals, name Ah Chu, to reduce him to
the size of a pigmy, but to let him retain his great lion heart and
character. From the offspring of this union descended the dogs Fu Lin,
or the Lion Dog of China.
They became the special pets of
the Chinese Emperors, and these likenesses were found in art of all
kinds - screens, vases, pottery, and sculpture. Dogs of this description
were mentioned in the time of Confucius, and in the first century they
told of "little dogs" which were "very short-legged with
flowing tails and ears."
They were the constant
companions of the Emperor, and as he made his way to the audience room,
many of the little fellows led the procession, announcing his arrival
with sharp little barks, a cue for all lesser mortals to avert their
faces. (At night they carried little lanterns strapped to their necks.)
More little dogs followed, holding their heads high and carrying in
their mouths the Emperor's train. They were held in such affection and
esteem by their masters that they were often given titles such as
"Viceroy" or "Imperial Guardsmen".
It was during the Tao Kuang
period (1821-1851) that the breeding of these little dogs - now called
Pekingese - reached its peak. Imperial Dog Books, which were illustrated
with pictures of the most admired dogs, were used as the standard.
Though records of pedigrees were never kept, breeding was the subject of
much thought and many elaborate theories. Prenatal impression was
the method most in vogue, and mothers were taken several times daily to
see pictures and sculptures of the most beautiful dogs. Then
the colors most desired for their coats were hung in their sleeping
quarters, where they slept on sheepskins to suggest a profuse coat.
Spectacle marks around the eyes, in keeping with the huge horn-rimmed
spectacles worn by officials and the literate, were desired, as to
confer a look of wisdom and learning.
All-white dogs - partly because
of rarity and partly from the fact that white is the color of mourning
in China - were greatly prized and the subject of much superstition.
When one appeared, it was believed to be the spirit of some great man
and was generally kept in the Temple and treated with profound respect.
During the reign of Empress
Dowager Tsu Hsi (known as "Old Buddha"), in order to
gain prestige, she surrounded herself with diminutive "lion
dogs," insisting that their resemblance to the lion be as close as
possible. The great Lama Buddha was always accompanied by a small pet
dog which, at will, became a lion on whose back the Buddha rode through
the heavens, with power to call from his fingertips tiny lions which, in
the hour of need, became great beasts and attacked his enemies.
It then became even more
important that the little dogs have more feathering and a greater width
of muzzle. A white spot on the forehead was a feature greatly prized, as
the traditional lion was represented as holding an embroidered ball
between his feet. Embroidered balls were always the playthings given the
young dogs - and so they are today!
In 1860, when Allied troops
occupied Peking, five dogs were found in a secluded corner of the Summer
Palace beside their attendants, who had committed suicide rather than be
captured. Admiral Lord John Hay and another naval officer each took two.
The fifth was taken by General Dunne, who later presented her to Queen
Victoria, who christened her "Looty." Looty's portrait by a
distinguished painter still hangs in Windsor Castle. The two little
Pekes who found their home with the Duchess of Richmond were given the
prefix "Goodwood" and were the foundation of the breed in
England.
In 1896 Mrs. Douglas Murray
made a sensational appearance with the two finest specimens yet seen.
Her husband, who had large business interests in China, had succeeded,
with much patience and wire-pulling, in obtaining them. These two were
later famous throughout the Pekingese world as "Ah Cum" and
"Mimosa." Knowing nothing of any other kennels, Mrs. Murray
was astonished one day to be chased down the street by Lady Algernon
Gordon-Lennox who, in passing, had caught a glimpse of the two Pekes.
These two ladies later joined forces, and to them jointly goes the honor
of producing the first English Champion, "Ch. Goodwood Lo."
The next Champion was "Ch. Goodwood Chum," and these two,
fortunately, were terrific sires and were an incalculable influence on
the breed.
In 1898 a standard of points
was drawn up, and in 1904 the Pekingese Club of England was founded.
About this time the Alderbourne Kennel was started by Mrs. Clarice
Ashton-Cross and her four daughters on a combination of Goodwood-Murray-Manchu
and the Broadoak-Goodwin-Pekin-Prince blood lines. It was destined to e
one of the greatest English kennels and put the stamp of the Alderbourne
name in all the finest pedigrees.
The impetus given by the
founding of the Pekingese Club and the establishment of Peke classes at
dog shows gave a remarkable value to the dogs. Breeders of all sorts
flocked into the game, some either ignorant or indifferent to the
standard originally established. The Pekin Palace Dog Club was soon
formed to protect this standard.
In spite of the limitations
imposed by this Club (a 10-lb. weight limit and a policy of quality
rather than quantity), it prospered and has impressed its policy on its
members (and even today many English Champions are under 10 lbs.).
With the Empress Dowager's
death in 1911, the long reign of the Pekingese in China came to an end.
Rather than let the little dogs fall into unworthy hands, the court
officials killed the great majority of them; the few that escaped
disappeared into private homes, leaving no trace.
But the breed was now firmly
established in the west, so it was not lost. In 1921 there began the
curious paradox of returning breeding stock to China. But again these
were lost during the Communist Revolution. Thus, to the original looting
of the Palace and carrying away a few of these little dogs we owe the
survival of our wonderful Pekingese breed.
Originally, in old China dogs
were kept for what they were intended - either for hunting, guard, sheep
dogs or palace pets - yet without the spur of showing and the skill and
work of dedicated Pekingese lovers, we should not have the Pekingese of
today, far more beautiful and hardy than the original Chinese.
"They are a triumph of cultivation; the gardeners of the Summer
Palace who curled the chrysanthemum petals and gently coaxed the peony
buds into full flower would have understood."
Courtesy of: the Pekingese
Club of America, Inc. |
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