A large Persian pottery bowl
Circa late 3rd-late 2nd Millennium B.C.
Of deep cylindrical form flaring towards the rim, decorated in brown with three figurative panels separated by a chequered diamond pattern with dot and circle motifs, the first panel painted with a hunting scene depicting a furry canine, possibly a wolf, chasing two goats with a hunter below with a bow aimed toward five further goats, the next panel showing a man with his bow drawn towards a group of six goats, assisted by a dog on a lead, with a further canine apparently driving the goats towards the hunter, the third panel depicting a man and two yoked oxen, 18cm high, 23.5cm diam.注脚Provenance:
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 27 March 1972, lot 60.
Desmond Morris collection, Oxford, acquired at the above sale.

Published:
J. Farrington, Man's Best Friend: An Exhibition Celebrating the Centenary of Crufts Dog Show, Birmingham, 1991, p. 15.

Exhibited:
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, 'Man's Best Friend: An Exhibition Celebrating the Centenary of Crufts Dog Show', 9 January-17 March 1991.

In the above exhibition catalogue David Symons notes that the hunting scenes can be interpreted either as the depiction of two different canine types, one shaggy and wolf-like, the other sleek and curly tailed, or that the scenes show 'a deliberate distinction between domesticated dogs co-operating with man and a wild canine (a shaggy wolf?) in competition with him'. Dr Morris has suggested that the vase demonstrates an understanding of the domestication process of the dog, which was bred both to look different from wild wolves and to assist man.