Xigou

Sir Terence Clark has just returned from China. He writes:

"I was in Shaanxi Province of China in October 2010 with the Xigou (pronounced See-gow) hunters, one of whom had previously asked me whether I thought his hound was a Saluki. After examining a whole range of these hounds, I can only say that superficially they look very like desert bred Salukis of the kind that you find elsewhere in the northern range of Turkey and Iran."

Terence thinks they came to Central Asia from the west, from Persia and Arabia. I rather think they went the other way; I'm not sure the evidence is in yet to prove either of our theories. What is for certain is that they have been in both places a long time! Tomb images and other art places them firmly in western China by AD 700-- see "Prince Xangui's Tomb" where the dog has the local roman nose, about which more in a moment. Terence continues:

"...the Chinese Xigou are quite varied in their appearance. Some have a distinctly banana-shaped nose, but this would seem to go back at least to the 7th century, if the tomb painting of Prince Zhanghuai is accurate. Others have a normal Saluki nose. Some have a roached back, but others a straight topline. Some are very broad across the chest so that the elbows seem to stick out, but most have a normal Saluki front. Most have quite thick ear fringes but only skimpy feathering on the tail, like the Tazys of Central Asia. A few have rather rounded front feet but most have a good long, well-arched Saluki foot. The colours are mainly solid black, white, red with black mask and fringes, grey and dark brindle. I did not see any particoloureds, grizzles or smooths, though I was told a smooth variety existed."

Here is a typical young black pup of the local type. Blacks are rare in the Arab countries but appear sporadically from Turkey east and are apparently common in China.

Some pretty saluki- type dogs:


The nose:

Which contrary to some saluki people has been around a long time. Remember the Prince's tomb, and look at that profile:

Another:

A Xian figurine also ca 700:

Terence also got to go hunting. "Hunting was a free for all! I saw as many as six or eight run at the same time and the hare, smaller but similar to the European hare, does not have much chance to escape on the flat, sparsely covered cultivated fields."

Hungry cultures are not as "sporting" as ones at play...

Chinese Tazis Continued

When I wrote about old tazis in Asia recently one commenter sneered and asked if I thought Chinese "sheepheads" were ancient too, meaning the roman- nosed tazis of northwestern China (colloquially, "thin dogs"). I replied with this image from Prince Xanghui's 8th Century tomb.

Here is a recent photo of a similar hound, a male "xigou".



The nose is unusual, and not universal even there- perhaps what geneticists call a "founder effect" where its original presence in a small population dominates. More Chinese dogs here.

And see this 2007 post for more wonderful images going back to 450 AD. Tazis are Asian.

Chinese Tazi Art

Or saluki if that is your preference. Paul Domski sent me this link, which caused me to reply: "Nice image. I have other Chinese saluki- tazi images, some even older, but not this one. Frustrating thing is that the article propagates the Arab origin myth-- I have older images from China than any available from the Middle East!" Maybe if I ever sell that book...

Here is the oldest I have, circa 450 AD:


Prince Xanghui, circa 740 I believe:


AD 1197:


One more-- not sure of the date.


The Brits found various tazis (OK, salukis if you must speak Arabic!) in Iraq because that is where they looked. (They found aboriginal Afghans , also tazis, in Afghanistan, and promptly ruined them in typical Edwardian show- dog fashion).

Salukis are Asian.