Hounds

I wonder where you would put a table like this?  I imagine in a very large hall where those heads would be irresistible to hang a hat after returning from hacking around the countryside.  This is the 'Deerhound Table' designed and created by the sculptor John Bell (1811-1895) for the Paris International Exhibition of 1855.  The life-size deerhounds support a table top painted to look like marble.  On display in the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron you may guess from that name that it is made of the material loved by the Victorians, cast iron. and it weighs a massive 800 kg.

It would be impracticable for me to own a dog but that does not stop me musing on what type I would like to have.  These hounds might be perfect, the puppies are very lively but once they reach about three they like to lounge around and sleep, the place of preference being on soft furnishing. however their attention is always grabbed by food and the chance of a long walk.  Sounds a bit like me. Perhaps I would take them to the beach

but watch out for the Sea Holly

Bethecar Moor and the Coniston Hills

Their own place of preference would be the high hills with plenty of room to run for, as their name implies, they were originally bred to hunt deer. Want to see some real deerhounds bounding around?  I know I did, here is the Flickr Group.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet this week sojourning at H here