July
20
/ 2019
Animals far outnumber us on the planet. And while humans have domesticated some of them for work or food, others have been observed, admired, feared, and revered from afar. For many ancient cultures, all living beings, be they large or small; feathered, scaled, or furry, were the repositories of magical powers. Some animal species were even believed to serve as intermediaries between the multitude of deities and humankind, which explains how they ended up in cult ancient centers. Opulent Life for Royal Dogs in the Ancient Forbidden City [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"62724","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"436","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"610"}}]] From specially-tailored dog outfits to slave eunuchs to serve their every need, the royal dogs of China’s Forbidden City had it all. Chen Shen, a curator at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum
