French bulldog coaster, 10 cm round featuring a charming illustration of a French Bulldog, one of the most loved big earred francophones.
Desinged by Anne Bentley
Anne is a painter and illustrator living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design and School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Inspired by mid century architecture, fashion, textiles, pottery & plants, her work combines traditional painting with digital drawing.
Descended from the dogs of the Molossians who inhabited Epirus in northern Ancient Greece, apparently Phoenicians traders took their dogs all over the Mediterranean world and beyond. Crossbreeding in Britain led to the English Mastiff and the Bulldog. whilst the French crossed them with Parisian ‘ratters’.
Bullbaiting was banned in Britain in 1835 so many bulldogs found themselves unemployed. Serendipitously, at about the same time, machines were making the lacemakers of Nottingham redundant. Many of them and their equally redundant bulldogs travelled to Normandy to find work. The French has a taste for lap dogs so British bulldogs that were considered too small or had style issues, like big sticky up ears, were exported. These little lap dogs became ever more popuar in France and the trade blossomed. So that’s how the French cornered the market in small dogs with pointy ears.
Famous French Bulldog owners include,
- Madonna
- Hugh Jackman
- David & Victoria Beckham
- Lady Gaga
- Leonardo Dicaprio
As well as this French Bulldog Coaster you an see more dog design coasters from Anne Bentley, available at Abrahams Store here.
Find our about French Bulldogs here.