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 …
Tag: Central Asia
“Horned Rifles”
Central Asia is full of archaic survivals, which include old technologies (should that be “technologies” with quotes, to include animal memes like hawking and various “old ways“– thanks Liz Thomas!– with dogs and other animals as well as actual “tech”?) China controls guns but Tibetans actually still hunt with matchlocks (and tazi- like dogs though …
Far Away and Long Ago: Family with Megafauna
Just for fun: a shelf in the library has accumulated a bunch of photos with this theme, dating from the thirties (Betsy Huntington) to just eleven years ago (me). Here are a few. First, Betsy, at four, with her mother, at the Pyramids: Second, Libby on an elephant, in the early seventies, at TIGERtops (see …
Old Eastern Salukis, Volume–??
I have seen this Jingiz or Kubilai- era Chinese image before but only in poor quality. And it is a brindle! Click to, as they say in Bloggish, embiggen.
Beating the Drum Again…
Arguments in the saluki- tazi world again (and implicitly in the whole dog world) on closed studbooks, “invalid colors”, the usual. And as always, sane and scientific counsel from John Burchard: “I think we have to remember that the breed subdivisions within the “oriental sighthound” group are to some considerable extent a Western artifact which …
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 …
Eagle Accessories
Lauren brought back a lot of eagle equipment from Asia (as we all do) but as she had spent more time and been more places. Most useful were a couple of pairs of eagle — boots?– gloves? At any rate, foot warmers for the birds’ naked feet (golden eagle legs are thickly feathered). The boots …
Vodka from our Mongolian “Home Town”
Lauren brought among other things (like eagle tack I have never seen– be patient!) a bottle of new vodka named after the capitol of Mongolia’s Kazakh “Aimag” or state, therefore the de facto “Berkutchi” capitol. The back is attractive enough, with a Berkutchi painted on it (all photos enlarge if clicked on): But the front …
Back Again… (and Guests)
Only this time I have never left– just been ridiculously busy. To reassure– my health is the best it has been in a year, though my vigorous and always expanding exercise routine takes up a surprising amount of time, and neglecting it brings on a slide if I do it very long. Add guests to …
Beginnings and Endings in Mongolia
Lauren is coming home next week, visiting us soon, and will doubtless be blogging for herself. In addition to training her eagle, she has done a lot of research,and to my envy got to meet the chronicler of the Gyrfalcon, Eugene Potapov, author of my favorite ornithological monograph (see link two posts down): ” I …