Synopses & Reviews
Archaeological evidence of truly domestic dogs dates back to the Stone Age, when humans lived as bands of hunter-gatherers. The long association that followed, with dogs living alongside people as hunters and companions, guardians and guides, has a treasured place in history and myth--and in a wealth of art and artifacts that document and celebrate this ancient relationship.
Dogs: History, Myth, Art explores these cultural expressions and reflections of our deep and long-standing interest in dogs. Here, in exquisite reproductions, are life-size sculptures and tiny engraved gems, ceramic floor tiles and stone wall-reliefs, gold ornaments and ceramic vessels, pocketknife handles and miniature paintings, all depicting dogs from prehistory to the present. Through these illustrations--drawn from the collections of the British Museum--author Catherine Johns considers the evolution of the species, its earliest interactions with human communities, its importance in history and culture, and its role in symbolism, mythology, and legend. Dogs' wild cousins, wolves, jackals, and foxes, also play a role in this story, and so appear alongside their domestic counterparts in this book's engaging tour of cultural perceptions and depictions of dogs.
The juxtaposition and explanation of images as diverse as Greek pottery, Victorian jewelry, Assyrian sculpture, and Japanese netsuke, as well as drawings and paintings from 1850 bc to the twentieth century, illuminates our understanding of the place of dogs in human society around the world.
Review
For the canine enthusiast with an artistic bent, check out Dogs: History, Myth, Art by Catherine Johns...The symbiotic relationship between humans and canines goes back thousands of years, and there's plenty of art to document the journey in this handsome volume--from ancient times to the present. Robin D. Schatz
Review
Drawing from the immense art collection from the British Museum, Catherine Johns has assembled a wide selection of statues, paintings, mosaics, busts, jewelry, and more, to illustrate man's love and need of the dog. Johns provides a great history of the dog, and its near relatives, but the true beauty of this book is just the variety of ways dogs have been portrayed through the ages and how they have become such a part of our cultural history, regardless of the culture...The dog lover will find much to enjoy in this book, both informational, and artistic. Bloomberg News
Synopsis
The juxtaposition and explanation of images as diverse as Greek pottery, Victorian jewelry, Assyrian sculpture, and Japanese netsuke, illuminates our understanding of the place of dogs in human society around the world. This book explores these cultural expressions and reflections of our deep and long-standing interest in dogs.
About the Author
Catherine Johns is a retired curator of Romano-British collections at the British Museum.