From Prehistoric Times to Ancient Rome

Prehistoric Times: Figurative Art

The first sculptures of dogs are earthenware objects in a very simple style. This purely figurative art is based primarily on the form of the animal seen as a companion in hunting, herding, and everyday life. Some pieces show evidence of claw and tooth marks. These early sculptures depict animals with oversized bellies and short legs.

Precolumbian Period

This art is also very simple. Dogs are depicted not realistically, but with the qualities of the god with whom they were associated. Precolumbian sculpture became an expression of the spiritual and mystical world, a trend that reached its peak in ancient times.

Egypt: Dogs as Stylized Symbols

Ancient Egyptians worshiped all sorts of animals, including the dog, considered the earthly incarnation of the god Anubis and sometimes Thot. In their very elaborate and stylized sculptures, Egyptian artists sought to evoke one of the dog's characteristics while retaining the animal's form, generally based on that of the desert greyhound. The limestone dog at the Louvre Museum in Paris - depicting a sheepdog wearing a collar - is a perfect example of this. Egyptian bas-reliefs often show dog racing or hunting scenes including dogs.

Ancient Egyptians also used dogs to decorate tombs and cemeteries. The sarcophagus of Madja from the 18th Dynasty clearly shows a dog with a fox's tail in a reclining position. Two statues of dogs stand guard at the entrance to all Egyptian temples as a symbol of the sovereign's watchfulness over his people.

Asia: Lion-Dogs

The dog occupies a very unique position in Asia, where he has been considered either a god or a delicacy, earning either respect or scorn. At the entrance to most Chinese temples and palaces stand two "lion-dogs" with clear similarities to the mastiff breeds native to the region. Even in everyday sculpted objects, dogs are depicted with exaggerated features and embellished with ornaments of various sizes.

Assyria: Fine Animal Sculpture

The animal art of Assyria is abundant and of very high quality. In this civilization, art was inspired by religion and the worship of royalty. Dogs are generally depicted alone in incredible detail, in hunting scenes, or alongside their master.

Ancient Greece and Rome: Geometric Style

Closer to modern times, the art of ancient Greece and Rome is primarily geometric in style, with clean lines. Like human sculpture, animal sculpture became more refined, to the point of near perfect realism. Very few statues of dogs have been found from this period. This is not surprising, since in these cultures dogs were no longer seen as gods.

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