THE " JAPANESE " DOGS 



everything rare and fetching a large sum of money, the 

 Japanese lap-dog was said to come from Miaco. Full-grown 

 specimens might sometimes be seen scarcely exceeding seven 

 or eight inches in length. The diminutive size was secured 

 by cross-breeding, and, according to some, by draughts 

 of saki.* 



In recent times, arrival of the Japanese breed of dog, so far 

 as is borne out by authentic records, antedates the Pekingese 

 race as to importation into England by at least a decade. 

 The record of shows demonstrates that nine " Japanese " 

 were classed in a show held in the Holborn Horse Repository 

 in i862.f 



Kaempfer fails to mention the existence of the breed in 

 Japan, but remarks, " greyhounds and spaniels are wanting." 

 It is interesting to note that although at a later period dogs 

 were stated always to form part of an Imperial present, the 

 Emperor lyeyasu's present to King James in 1613 is recorded 

 as having consisted of five pairs of folding-screens. 



Huish remarks J that the dogs usually seen in Japanese art 

 are the Chin or lap-dog, which were introduced from Macao 

 in the seventeenth century by the Portuguese. The authority 

 for this statement is not given, and it would appear far more 

 probable that the Japanese dog was introduced into Macao 

 by the Portuguese, or perhaps from China, and thence found 

 their way to Portugal and to the European Courts. Robert 

 Fortune wrote in 1860 : " The lap-dogs of the country are 

 highly prized both by natives and foreigners. They are 

 small some of them not more than nine or ten inches in 

 length. They are remarkable for snub-noses and sunken 

 eyes, and are certainly more curious than beautiful. They 

 are carefully bred ; they command high prices even amongst 



* " Ten Weeks in Japan," by the Bishop of Victoria. 



f " Modern Dogs," by Lee. J " Japan and its Art," Huish, p. 136. 



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