2018 is the Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese calendar. Thought I didn’t notice?
Of course, I noticed – I was waiting for the ideal opportunity to announce it on dogtrotting.net.
Here it is: Part two of dog-days in Kansas City, Missouri while attending BlogPaws 2018 (maybe for the last time), an annual pet bloggers conference.
If you ever find yourself in Kansas City for a convention, reserve a few hours and wear good walking shoes because you’ll need both at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The museum is big and yet a compact art history course extending beyond only European and American influences. Stop at the café and look at the 220 AD Roman Fountain Basin, one of the oldest fountains in the U.S.
Be sure to find this little guy in the Asian section. He celebrates the Year of the Dog. (This year and every year). He reminds visitors to the museum dogs have been an important part of Asian households for 10,000 years.
This earthenware dog is from the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 c.e.). According to the museum, this sculpture is posed with an alert expression and open mouth and appears to be barking. The harness suggests this is a depiction of a domesticated dog that served a family.
What else is at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art?
A lot. Including these two male and female hounds that greet you at the entrance to the ceramics section of the museum. These charming salt glazed stoneware figures from either Germany or England (the museum’s not sure) and dating back to 1724. Almost four-hundred years ago, people loved dogs as art – and home décor.
Dogs, no surprise, are not allowed in the museum, but are welcome on walking paths outside that weave past outdoor sculptures including the city’s iconic giant Shuttle Cocks by Claus Oldenburg who envisioned the property as a giant badminton field in 1999 after being commissioned to add to the sculpture park.
[…] What else dog-related did we experience in Kansas City, Missouri? Check out our KC Day 2 adventure here. […]