DOGS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 



of our era at least, an article of exportation,* and artists and 

 artasters seem to have travelled everywhere in search of 

 employment, adapting the models of their native art to the 

 requirements of the local religion. Laufer remarks, " I have 

 no doubt that the prototype of the figure of the lion on the 

 Han pottery reliefs found its way to China through the 

 same channels as the design of the archer on horseback ; i.e. 

 through the medium of Scythian and old Siberian art. The 

 occurrence of the lion on works of Scythian art is very 

 frequent ; and as to Siberia, we have many examples of it 

 on the famous gold plaques of the Eremitage, on which, as 

 in China, the lion is represented, particularly in hunting 

 scenes. The type of the Scythian and Siberian lion is 

 undoubtedly derived from Mycenian and Greek art, and 

 thus the transplanting of it to Chinese soil is historically and 

 logically accounted for." 



The Lamaists teach that the " dog-lion " is as inferior to 

 the " true lion " of their religion as is the canine species to 

 the leonine. These species are, however, as will be explained 

 later, closely connected in Buddhist lore, and the commonly 

 found Western fallacy suggesting that Buddhists reverence 

 dogs and that Chinese toy-dogs are held sacred, based no 

 doubt on the likeness between the sacred lion and the 

 Pekingese dog, has found support from the Lamaist association 

 of the lion-dog with the sacred spirit-lion found in Tibetan 

 scripture. Both Tibetans and Chinese have no doubt bred 

 a race of toy-dogs to resemble as closely as possible their 

 respective ideas of the spirit-lion. 



The close connexion of Tibetan lore with Egyptian science 

 is commented on by Captain Turner, one of the first English- 

 men to enter Tibet, sent by Warren Hastings in an endeavour 

 to open up trade intercourse in 1800. Turner mentions that 



* " Buddhist Art in India," Burgess. 

 9 8 



