POINTS OF THE CHINESE PEKINGESE TYPE 



whose markings are clear (" ming sze yen"). To take rank 

 as being suitable for portraiture in the Imperial Dog Books, a 

 spectacled dog should have fire-coated cheeks, fore- legs and 

 rump, and, when in possession of these, is considered very 

 handsome. Other markings which are much appreciated are 

 the " five clear flowers " (" wu ming hua "), five clear patches on 

 a ground of different colour, and " three divided flowers " 

 (" san chieh hua "), consisting of three unbroken patches of 

 colour, such as a large spot on the back, another on the head, 

 and another on the hind-legs. A variety of this, which is 

 particularly admired, possibly on account of Buddhist as- 

 sociation with the Manjusri's harnessed lion, is the case in 

 which the back-spot is centrally placed and takes the shape of 

 a saddle (" an-tzu hua|"). A similar variety is that in which 

 the saddle-mark spreads right round the body in the form 

 of a sash-marking (" t'ai-tzu hua "), sometimes with an ex- 

 tension on one side like the overhanging flap of the Chinese 

 girdle. The sash is still worn in China, just as was pre- 

 viously the case among the belted earls of Europe, as an 

 exclusive privilege to indicate rank. A yellow belt is worn 

 by certain members of the Imperial family only. Similarly, 

 a white sash-mark on a black dog is taken to simulate the 

 jade belt worn by the Grand Councillors of pre-republican 

 days. Small spots sometimes occur on the coat of the lips 

 and forefeet (" cho hua ti-erh "), and constitute a rather bad 

 point. 



Markings which are found on black dogs only are, first, the 

 "sable cloud over snow" (" wu yun kai hsueh"), white feet, 

 white stomach, black back and head ; and secondly, the 

 " standing in the snow " (" hsueh li chan "), black coat with four 

 white paws. But white feet in black dogs remind the Chinese 

 of the white shoes used only in mourning. A special name is 

 also given to the specimen having one paw of a colour differing 



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