Five centuries of the dog collar, from wolf-proof necessity to aristocratic accoutrement
Get your pooch a paddle because two dog collars from the 18th century are going under the hammer.
Pity the dogs of the Middle Ages, for their collars could be distinctly uncomfortable. Although some hunting images show hounds wearing leather bands, in others, says Ciara Farrell of the Royal Kennel Club (RKC), they sported formidable, broad, iron collars fitted with spikes, which were intended to protect their necks from wolves and bears and would later be echoed in the models with sharp protruding teeth at the top and bottom rim used for animal baiting.
Rather more stylish, although probably not terribly comfortable either, was the pearl-encrusted collar, complete with coat of arms, that was recorded in the inventory of Philip II of Spain in 1558. Before making his way to the neck of Spain’s royal pooches, it had belonged to the Duke of Burgundy.
Katalina Hicks's two Italian greyhounds sported pearl collars for her Frontispiece (sometimes referred to as 'Girls in Pearls') shoot.
The oldest specimen in the RKC collection dates from 1692: made of brass, it belonged to a dog of Somerset merchant George Balch, who would later become MP for Bridgwater. ‘We don’t know the breed of dog that wore the collar, but its value to its owner is clearly signified by the manufacture and wearing of this item,’ says Farrell.
Brass collars, bearing the dog’s name and the owner’s address, became increasingly popular over time: the band was usually adjustable and featured rolled edges to avoid chafing; some models were even articulated. Auctioneer Cheffins is offering two dating from the 18th century at the Fine Sale on September 16: both belonged to the dogs of a William Turbutt Esq of Ogston, Derbyshire and one is articulated.
In Johann Christof Merck's life-size painting of Frederick I's favourite hunting dog, the animal's master's monogram is attached to its collar.
By the 19th century, brass collars had become so commonplace that Henry Mayhew, in his book London Labour and the London Poor, recorded street traders selling them in the city: prices, explains Farrell, ranged from sixpence for small ones to three shillings for larger examples, with matching padlocks available.
Much rarer, but also popular for pugs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were medal collars, such as the one now preserved at the RKC. It was worn by Ch Little Geisha, the dog of a Mrs Benson, who Farrell describes as ‘a well-known pug fancier of the time.
The silver medals all date from 1900–02 and were won at shows as far apart as London and Liverpool, with an Edward VII coronation medal in the centre’.
The RKC also has the carte de visite of Ch Little Geisha: it shows her wearing her collar, with Benson sporting an equally eye-catching hat.
