19th Century Carved Walnut Great Dane

19th Century Carved Walnut Great Dane.

An early 19th century carved figure of a recumbent dog.

A very rare work of art.  

The subject is a Great Dane and the quality is of the highest order, carved in the solid.

The Great Dane, also known as the Apollo of dogs, is a giant breed.  The Dane is German in origin, not Danish.  The breed is thought to have been around for more than 400 years.  Great Danes descend from mastiff-like dogs that were bred by German nobility to protect country estates and hunt wild boar and deer as few other dogs could bring down these large animals.

It is one of the two largest dog breeds in the world, along with the Irish Wolfhound.

The Great Danes that were more like those we know today were developed in the 1800s. In 1880, the Germans banned the name ‘Great Dane’ and called the breed ‘Deutsche Dogge’, which means German mastiff; however, the breed continues to be called Great Dane in English speaking countries.

Great Danes have naturally floppy, triangular ears. In the past, when Great Danes were used to hunt wild animals, cropping of the ears was performed to make injuries to the dogs' ears less likely. Now that Danes are primarily pets, cropping is less likely to be seen, although it is sometimes still done for traditional and cosmetic reasons. Today, the practice is common in the United States, but much less common in Europe. In some European countries such as the UK, Ireland and Denmark, the practice is banned.  Ear cropping became illegal in England and Wales, under Section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. 

These dogs are primarily family pets and, despite their size, have become popular with many people and are considered to be gentle giants.

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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