Description † A SILK EMBROIDERED PANEL DEPICTING A PAIR OF JAPANESE CHIN DOGSJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)Finely woven on a black-colored silk ground, the two long-haired dogs seated in obedient poses with attentive expressions, each wearing a ruffled collar, one red and the other blue.SIZE 32 x 42.5 cm (image) and 44.4 x 54.5 cm (incl. frame)Condition: Very good condition, minor wear, some loose threads, very minor soiling.Framed behind glass.The Japanese Chin, also known as the Japanese Spaniel, is a dog acknowledged for its importance to Japanese nobility. The dogs have a dot or a line on their forehead, which is associated with the touch of Buddha. While most believe that the source breed for the Japanese Chin originated in China, the route by which the Chin arrived in Japan is a widely debated topic. One story claims that the dogs were given to the Japanese royalty in AD 732 as gifts from the rulers of Korea. Others maintain that they were given as gifts to the Empress of Japan as early as the middle of the sixth century or by the seventh century.Auction comparison: Compare a related embroidered panel depicting pointer dogs by Aiko, also dated to the Meiji period, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 6 November 2014, London, lot 217 (sold for 4,375 GBP).