Jennings' dog is a marble ancient Roman sculpture of a dog with a docked tail. The work got its main name in honor of one of the owners - the English antiquarian and collector Henry Jennings. The item is also known as the Dog of Alcibiades. Jennings believed that the sculpture depicts the dog of the ancient Greek statesman Alcibiades, who cut off her tail to arouse pity among the Athenians and distract from problems.
The basis for the sculpture was a bronze original created in the 2nd century BC. BC e. Employees of the British Museum attribute the depicted dog to the breed of Molossians - excellent hunters and guards. The ancient Roman writer Pliny wrote about the bronze work, noting that this work was lost in 69 AD. e.
Marble dog Jennings was found near the city of Lanuvio in Lazio (Italy). The sculpture lay on the territory of the imperial villa of Anthony Pius. It belonged to the restorer Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, adorned the park at the residence of the English Duncombe family for 150 years, almost got into the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and was eventually bought by the British Museum.
The height of the dog is 1 meter. The muzzle and one paw were repaired due to damage. This is one of the few ancient Molossian sculptures that have survived to this day. A similar sculpture is located in the Belvedere Palace in the Vatican.
