Kolovrat pendants set

Kolovrat pendants set

The Kolovrat (lit.: “turning wheel”) is a symbol from pre-Christian Slavic religion. It was dedicated to the Sun God Svarog and often called “The wheel of Svarog.”

Kolovrat or kolowrat (also Colovrat, sometimes anglicized as Collowrath) means spinning wheel in a number of Slavic languages (contemporary or archaic meaning): “kolo” means “wheel”, “vrat” is the stem for “turning/spinning/etc.” 

It may also be an archaic form of the East Slavic word kolovorot for “brace”.

It represents strength, dignity, sun and fire, Life, death, rebirth, the turning of the wheel, the journey of the sun, the changing of the seasons. It is a symbol of secular as well as spiritual power. The kolovrat represents the endless cycle of birth and deaths. Each turn of the wheel is a cycle of life in our world.

This Kolovrat pendant measures approximately 45mm in diameter and has bale that will accommodate a necklace or a ring for keys. 

All pendants are made of galvanised metal and are very durable.

 If you like something from these pages, you can place an order simply sending me mail so we can make a deal. vladimir.maticmail@gmail.com

Svetovid's Kolovrat pendants set

Svetovid's Kolovrat pendants set

Double Kolovrat (double spinning Sun wheel) reflects the eternal connection of Jav - the physical world we live in, and Nav - the spiritual world .
Constant turning and interaction of these two worlds demonstrates their strong spiritual connection. Together they form Prav - heavenly law that was left to us to follow by the pride and glory of our ancestors and the Gods.

 If you like something from these pages, you can place an order simply sending me mail so we can make a deal. 
vladimir.maticmail@gmail.com

Perunica Shield pendants set

Perunica Shield pendants set

 

Perunika (Iris) is the symbol of Perun, God of Thunder, the most powerful God in Slavic pantheon. This symbol was worn on the chest and shields of the glorious knights in Slavic history, it was believed to evoke hidden powers, warriors wore it with pride, and our ancestors regarded it as the best protection against natural disasters (thunder and lightning) so Perunika was very much used as the ornament on Slavic homes and that custom survived to this day.

Gromoviti znaci or thunder marks such as these are ancient symbols of Perun, which are often engraved upon roof beams of village houses, particularly in Eastern Slavic populations, to protect them from lightning bolts. It is conjectured their circular shape symbolises ball lightning.

 If you like something from these pages, you can place an order simply sending me mail so we can make a deal. vladimir.maticmail@gmail.com

Perunica pendants set

Perunica pendants set

Perunika (Iris) is the symbol of Perun, God of Thunder, the most powerful God in Slavic pantheon. This symbol was worn on the chest of the glorious knights in Slavic history, it was believed to evoke hidden powers, warriors wore it with pride, and our ancestors regarded it as the best protection against natural disasters (thunder and lightning) so Perunika was very much used as the ornament on Slavic homes and that custom survived to this day.

Gromoviti znaci or thunder marks such as these are ancient symbols of Perun, which are often engraved upon roof beams of village houses, particularly in Eastern Slavic populations, to protect them from lightning bolts. It is conjectured their circular shape symbolises ball lightning.

 If you like something from these pages, you can place an order simply sending me mail so we can make a deal. vladimir.maticmail@gmail.com

About Shar Pei breed

The Shar Pei is an unusual Chinese breed of dog that is distinctive due to its deeply wrinkled body and dark blue tongue that can appear almost black. When born, the skin of the dog appears almost too large for its body, but as the dog grows, their wrinkles spread out to make for a loose, but more appropriate fit!

Previously one of the rarest breeds of dog in the world, the Shar Pei is becoming ever more popular internationally . Their distinctive appearance and strong sense of loyalty to their families has led to them becoming popular with owners of all types, but the Shar Pei can be a challenging dog to own, and is prone to some hereditary health problems too. 

The Chinese Shar Pei originates from China and was bred originally for hunting small game, herding and dog fighting. It's origins can be dated back to the 200 B.C. The Chinese Shar Pei is also known by the other names of the Chinese Fighting Dog. This dog is classified as one of the Non-Sporting Dog Group. The Chinese Shar Pei was first Registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1991.

There are two varieties in Shar-Pei: a Traditional type with fewer wrinkles, roof-tile muzzle, pointed tail, short hair (sandpaper coat), and a modified Western type with heavier muzzle (hippopotamus look) with meat padding on top and longer hair (brush coat) with loose skin. 

Here's a witty comparison :-)

And here's more adequate:

The coat of the Shar Pei can be seen in three different variants:

Horse coat, which is prickly and rough, feeling harsh if stroked in one direction, but smooth in the other.

Brush coat, which is rather smoother to the touch, and slightly longer than the horse coat.

Bear coat, which is not a permitted permutation with every Kennel Club, and which was introduced to the breed due to the addition of other breed lines. The bear coat is defined by being longer than one inch at the withers, and is otherwise similar to the brush coat.

While the coat of the Shar Pei itself is short and straight, and so relatively low maintenance, the wrinkled skin of the breed does require some attention to keep it clean and healthy. Due to the fact that the skin is loose and falls in folds, it can easily trap dirt, debris and moisture, as well as harbouring bacteria.

Shar Pei History

For connoisseurs of uncommon canines, there's no dog more fascinating than the Chinese Shar-Pei. The wrinkled pups look like they are enfolded in bristly blankets, and the hippo-faced adults are unique in the canine world. 

Their history matches their singular appearance -- the breed was all but destroyed by the Chinese Communist regime and was saved through the Herculean efforts of a handful of breeders in Hong Kong and some Americans intrigued with the look and character of the breed.

The Shar-Pei is an ancient breed from an ancient land, perhaps related to the smooth-coated Chow Chow and the Tibetan Mastiff. The breed developed in the southern provinces of China as a working companion of farmers and peasants who needed a cattle herder, guardian, and hunting helpmate. 

His loose skin, nettlesome coat, and small ears protected him in battles, characteristics that unfortunately gained him favor as a fighting dog.

During the Han Dynasty some 2000 years ago, traders opened China to the West and to mastiff-type dogs that outweighed the Shar-Pei and attracted the attention of fight promoters, so the breed's fighting career was cut short. The Shar-Pei returned to his peasant roots to guard hearth and home for several centuries. After World War II, Communism took over in China, and dogs were considered a luxury that took food from the mouths of babes. Taxes on pets thinned their ranks, and by 1950, the breed was in big trouble.

Somewhere along the way, a few breeders in the British colony of Hong Kong acquired a few of these Chinese Fighting Dogs. Matgo Law was one such fancier of the wrinkled dogs, and in 1973 he and fellow breeder C.M. Chung began a campaign to save the breed with a plea for help in Dogs magazine.

Americans responded wholeheartedly and almost too well -- the Shar-Pei became a fad in the early years in the US, with pups selling for thousands of dollars and breedings done without concern for temperament, health, or structure.

A handful of Shar-Pei came to the US prior to Law's effort, but the breed was neither promoted nor developed. Chung and Law received more than 2000 responses to their appeal, and they began to send puppies to selected breeders in this country. Several of these early breeders formed the Chinese Shar-Pei Club of America to form a breed standard and work together to preserve the breed.

The Chinese Shar-Pei gained entrance to the American Kennel Club miscellaneous group in 1988 and became a full-fledged member of the non-sporting group in October, 1991. The breeds numbers have increased substantially from that first cry for help; in 1994, more than 15 thousand individuals and 6600 litters were registered, placing the dog 25th in popularity of 137 breeds.

 

Photos taken personally by T.Eric Omura from the Panyu museum. These pictures shows the existence of the Shar-pei from the Han Dynasty, over two thousand years ago. The location where the statues were is actually very close to the Dali and this confirm the place of origin for the Shar-pei.  And as we know from the latest DNA test analyze in Sweden and America, for the breed, thes har-pei is confirmed to be among the first dogs evolved from the wolf.

Shar Pei body and look

SHAR-PEI TYPES AND THEIR DIFFERENCES
HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE TRUE TRADITIONAL SHAR-PEI

The truth is that there is a lot of confusion regarding the number of shar-pei types. Very few know the differences and even fewer care to separate them in groups, in order not to participate and compete all these different types with the same criterion, into one single ring. It is simply unfair and silly, wile other breeds are showed in different rings only because of their different length of coat or texture.

And while the traditional shar-pei or Chinese has one single version, (that means one type and a specific morphology and anatomy), the western shar-pei (or American), has many more and it makes sense, since it is a new creation of the canine world (only 50 years, wile the traditional as a dog, has a history of 2000 years), that constantly mutates to satisfy the market.

So there are two basic types, the Chinese and the American with the latter divided into subcategories depending on the type of coat and the morphology of the mouth:

1)meat mouth brush coat

2)bone mouth brush coat

  

3)meat mouth horse coat

4)bone mouth horse coat

5)bear coat and any type of mouth (meat mouth or bone mouth), but is not recognized and accepted in the show rings

6)flowered with any type of mouth (meat mouth or bone mouth).A very pleasing color which is gaining fans, but is not acceptable in shows

7) classic type (meaty bone mouth). Is something between the bony and fleshy mouth. This type has  its DNA from both Chinese and American shar-pei and is a dog without exaggeration. The muzzle has not much pudding and cheeks, but is not completely bony. It can be horse coat or brush coat.

The problem of the most people that want to own a traditional shar-pei, is how they will manage to get a pure breed Chinese type, without becoming victims of some opportunists who will sell them a mixed dog as a traditional only because it has no puddings in its muzzle. So there are some very basic differences between Chinese shar-pei (traditional) and all other types of Western or American shar-pei and also in a mixed shar-pei.

The most striking difference as always refers to all articles, is the muzzle. The Chinese shar-pei (traditional), always has a ''dry'' muzzle (bone mouth), and has no pudding over its nose and should not be with fleshy cheeks. We do not want anything between the jaws and teeth of the dog, that will prevent a good bite or make it less effective and powerful, because this type is a pure working breed for hunting purposes.

The muzzle is always thinner than the width of the skull, looking from above and slightly wedge. The length of the skull is almost equal to the length of the muzzle, which should not be snippy but squared and straight to the line of the skull. When its mouth opens, the dog gives the impression that smiles, opening wide in a typical Chinese called ‘’toad mouth’’.

The nostrils are large and open and gives the animal the necessary dose of oxygen that is needed, while the mouth is closed for stopping and killing the game. The eyes are large, almond and as dark as possible. Never should be placed too deep in the skull (and that’s how they avoid entropion and eyes are always healthy). Few tight folds are only on the forehead and elsewhere on the head or body of the dog. The ears can be upstanding or not, small or a little bigger.

The American or Western type of meat mouth shar-pei that is most desirable for shows and breeding, has a squared head (skull-muzzle). The width of the head is almost the same as the width of the nose, looking from above. It always has padding over its nose and thick, fleshy cheeks and mouth. This is its hallmark as ‘’hippopotamus’’ head, which gives sweetness and attractiveness in this type and make it a perfect ‘’show’’ and impressive ‘’pet’’dog. The nostrils unfortunately are too small and difficult in most cases for the dog to breath wile is playing, sleeping or has his mouth closed for a reason especially in a warm day. The eyes are placed too deep in the skull and almond in shape. Has a lot of fold skin in the head, around mouth and throat. Sometimes it has fold skin in all around its body (although this tends to be undesirable in recent years in the show rings). The ears are always down and as small as possible. 

Comparing now the body and the construction of two types, we see the following differences. The Chinese shar-pei (traditional) is always taller and skinner compared to the American and the highest the best (some reaching the 55.88 cm- Wither height). The body is athletic, with ''light'' body structure, never seems ''heavy.'' The legs are straight, strong and long. Very important, is the shape of the feet, in the traditional type, which should be flattened with obvious long fingers, which the dog uses for climbing, digging, and even to catch something. The coat is strictly short (1 cm or less) and is unusually hard to the touch, so that causes irritation to human skin. The colors of the Chinese Shar-pei is brown, cream and rusty black (not pure black as labrador). There are no bleu, lilac, chocolate, flowered or sable Chinese Shar-pei. And last characteristic of this type is the bolt ‘’sharp’’tail. The tail begins thick rounded and tapered to a fine point (while in the American type, is just a little bit thinner in the edge)
 

 The American type of shar-pei (or western type), tends to become increasingly short and small in size, and preferred that way, with a height reaching with difficulty the 51 cm. In fact they have created a miniature and mini shar-pei also, that barely touches the 35-40cm. In general opinion, it is compact, heavy structure dog ,with short legs and  tight ‘’cat’’ feet. The coat has several varieties, horse coat, brush coat (up to 2,5 cm) and bear coat (like chow-chow). The texture of the coat is hard but not enough to compete this of a traditional. It has a lot of color varieties, from black, fawn, red, cream, chocolate, blue, blue black, lilac, even flowered(not show quality). The tail is thick and short, tapering slightly, but with no bolt edge.

 The classic type or meaty bone mouth as they call it, can have any of these features from the one or the other type and some times from both of them together, but always with the characteristic meaty bone mouth that we mentioned above.

 All these different types of shar-pei, are all suitable for family, apartment in the city, or countryside. Choose the type that attract you more in appearance, but if you are athletic and energetic guy, prefer the Chinese, if you are calm and languid, is better to choose the American one.

 Both types have great versatility and if you really know about dogs, you can easily make them follow your lifestyle, since dogs are imitating animals, which means that learn and keen to make the lifestyle that you follow in your life!

Shar Pei Standards

Standard stipulation	FCI Nr.309/1994 (Chinese Shar-pei)	FCI Nr.309/1999 ( American Shar-pei )
Origin	China (Dialack-Canton) China (Dailack, Namhoi, Guangdong)	China (U.S.A.)
Patronage	Hong Kong	F.C.I. (U.S.A.)
Date of issue	January 25, 1994	August 9, 1999
Valid original standard	January 25, 1994	April 14, 1999
Utilization	Hunting and watchdog.	Hunting and watch-dog.
Temperament	Active and agile. Calm, independent, loyal and affectionate to people. “Active and agile” are the key words. Need to hunt and guard.	Calm independent, loyal, affectionate to his family.
Height	19 to 23 inch at withers (48.3 to 58.4 cm.)	17.5 to 20 inch at withers (44 to 51 cm.)
Weight	40 to 65 lbs. (18 to 29.5 kgs.)	Not specified.
Head	The skull is round and big at the base, but flat and broad at the forehead. The Chinese description of the head is “Wo Lo Tau”, meaning “Calabash”shaped head. Should not be large or heavy in proportion to body.	Rather large in proportion to body.
Tongue	Bluish-black tongue and gum preferred, pink and spotted only permissible in lighter colored dogs.	Bluish black is preferred. Pink spotted tongue permissible. Solid pink tongue highly undesirable.
Back	Very strong and straight, with very strong back bone. This is required for an active and agile rural working and hunting dog.	Dips slightly behind withers; then it rises slightly over loin. This is to balance the larger head. Croup rather flat.
Tail	There are several types of tail. The most common are the curl, and double ring; this can be a big or a small curl. The tail must be firm and tightly over the hip. Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point is implied here as a preferred tail.	Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point. May be carried high and curved, carried in tight curl or curved over or to either side of the back. The tail is set very high, a characteristic feature of the breed. This feature is usually disregarded in most judging in shows.
Wrinkles	In the adult dog pronounced wrinkles are only allowed over the forehead and withers.	Folds of skin on body in mature dogs highly undesirable except on withers and base of tail, which show moderate wrinkling.
¡@	Wrinkles on the forehead must be apparent but must not obstruct the eyes...The wrinkles on the forehead form a marking which resembles the Chinese Symbol for Longevity.	Wrinkles on forehead and cheeks continuing to form dewlap.
¡@	... loose skin around the throat. The loose skin should not be excessive. Excessive skin around the body in adults is most undesirable.	The loose skin under the neck should not be excessive.
¡@	Slight fold of skin on withers.	Wrinkles over skull and withers.
Coat/Hair	Short, hard, bristly and as straight as possible. Length must not be over 2.5cm  long. Horse coat is shorter than brush coat. Horse coat is preferred over brush coat	Short, harsh and bristly. The coat is straight and offstanding on the body, but generally flatter on the limbs.The coat may vary in length from 1cm to 2.5 cm.Brush coat preferred over horse coat
	No undercoat. Never trimmed.	No undercoat. Never trimmed.
Muzzle	Length of muzzle nearly equal to the length of the skull. Moderate in length, broad from the eyes but narrowing slightly towards the nose.	“Hippopotamus” muzzle impart to the Shar-pei a unique look.
¡@	The shape of the mouth when viewed from top should either be in the shape of a roundish roof tile commonly known as “Roof Tile Mouth” or with a wide jaw in the shape of a toad¡¦s mouth, known as “Toad Mouth” A most distinctive feature of traditional Shar-pei. Top of muzzle is curved like a roof tile. No padded or bulge on top.	A distinctive feature of the breed. Broad from root to tip of nose with no suggestion of tapering. Lips and top of muzzle well padded. Bulge at the base of the nose permissible.
¡@	Snipy muzzle is not a fault, only less preferred over broader muzzle.	Snipy muzzle is a serious fault.
Ear	Small, thick, equilaterally triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tips. Tips pointing towards eyes and folded to the skull. Wide apart and close to skull. Small but NOT very small. Small in proportion to head. Thickness is not emphasized here.	Small ears. Very small, rather thick, equilaterally triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tip and set high on skull with tips pointing towards eyes...wide apart and close to skull.
¡@	Erect and standing ears are permissible but less desirable.	Pricked ears highly undesirable.
Eyes	Medium sized, almond shaped. As dark as possible. Light colored eyes are undesirable.	Dark, almond-shaped with a scowling expression. Lighter color permissible in dilute-colored dogs.
Feet	Moderate size, compact, well padded, toes well knuckled. Hind feet may have dewclaws and not specified in standard. May remove for better management.	Moderate size, compact, not splayed. Toes well knuckled. Hind feet free from dewclaws.
Forequarters	Pasterns slightly sloping, strong and flexible.	Pastern slightly sloping, strong and flexible.
Hindquarters	Strong and muscular. Moderately angulated. ¡@ ¡@ ¡@ Hocks well let down.	Muscular, strong, moderately angulated. Wrinkles on upper thighs, lower thighs, rear pasterns as well as the thickening of the skin on hocks undesirable. Hocks well let down.
Color	Solid colors black, blue black, black with a hint of rust brown, red, and fawn. Cream is acceptable but less desirable. Darker shading or trace mark down the back, different tone of same solid color permissible around shoulder. A distinctive color feature of this breed.	All solid colors acceptable except white. Tail and rear part of thighs frequently of a lighter color. Darker shading down the back and on the ears permissible.

^Summary

^{FCI Nr.309/1999 standard is basically a standard for Western type Shar-pei which the breeders here in China and Hong Kong refer to as the "meat-mouth¨. On Jan. 12, 1998, AKC approved second edition of Chinese Shar-pei standard, and the FCI issued the Nr.309/1999 standard one year later. This Nr.309/1999 standard is actually quite similar to the American AKC standard.}

^{The fact of life is that the Western type Shar-pei (meat-mouth) are already well accepted by many breeders around the world. Any attempt to replace it with a separate traditional Chinese Shar-pei standard is not practical and do no justice to the already existing type of dog. For FCI, the case of Shar-pei is intrinsically the same as the case for Akita. To solve this issue, one option is to let Nr.309/1999 remains as a standard for Western type Shar-pei and FCI Nr.309/1994 revived as the standard for the original traditional type Chinese Shar-pei.}

^{In summary, the most distinctive differences between the traditional type (bone-mouth) and the Western type (meat-mouth) are the head, coat and tail. The difference in features between to two types is summarized below:}

Features	FCI Nr.309/1994	FCI Nr.309/1999
Head	The skull is round and big at the base, but flat and broad at the forehead. The Chinese description of the head is “Wo Lo Tau” meaning “Calabash” shaped head. Should not be large or heavy in proportion to body.	Rather large in proportion to body.

^{According to the Nr.309/1999 standard, a meat-mouth requires a heavy head, rather large in proportion to body. This description has cause breeding of more and more heavier head costing the dog speed and agility.}

^{If Shar-pei is a "hunting and watchdog¨ as the standards claim it to be, then the performance of bone-mouth is outstanding when tested side-by-side with a meat mouth. Therefore, "active and agile¨ are the keywords which have been taken out from the Nr.309/1994 standard to produce the Nr.309/1999 standard.}

Utilization	Hunting and watchdog.	Hunting and watch-dog.
Temperament	Active and agile. Calm, independent, loyal and affectionate to people. “Active and agile¨ are the key words. Need to hunt and guard.	Calm independent, loyal, affectionate to his family.

^{The heavier head of meat-mouth naturally cause the back to dip to balance the weight.}

Back

Very strong and straight, with very strong back bone. This is required for an active and agile rural working and hunting dog.

Dips slightly behind withers; then it rises slightly over loin. This is to balance the larger head. Croup rather flat.

^{Height 23 inch at the withers is indeed a good and reasonable size for a rural "hunting and watchdog¨. Although 23 inch is uncommon nowadays for a Shar-pei, many old memories in Hong Kong and China pointed out that they have seen larger dogs than what we commonly see today. With today¡¦s better nutrition and exercise, it is easier to obtain a larger structure. It is true that some traditional Shar-pei breeders in Hong Kong also think that 20 inch is the right size, meaning this is the statistical mean (the right size) for Shar-pei but it must not be confused with the maximum. If one set the height at maximum to be 20 inch, then in actual breeding the end result will be producing a dog on average of below 20 inch. Therefore 23 inch is a reasonable maximum limit for the dog, meaning the average height will be below this maximum limit.}

Height

19 to 23 inch at withers (48.3 to 58.4 cm.)

17.5 to 20 inch at withers (44 to 51 cm.)

^{Muzzle is distinctively different between the two types. The Western type requires a ¡§Hippopotamus¡¨ look permitting a bulge at the base of the nose. Traditional type basically requires a ¡§Roof tile¡¨ look. One can imagine a roof tile which has a curved and smooth surface. Any bulge or padding or protrusion on the surface, it can not function and would not be a roof tile. A ¡§Toad Mouth¡¨ only suggests a very developed cheek like a toad but still the top of muzzle should be smooth and straight.}

Muzzle	Length of muzzle nearly equal to the length of the skull. Moderate in length, broad from the eyes but narrowing slightly towards the nose.	“Hippopotamus¨ muzzle impart to the Shar-pei a unique look.
¡@	The shape of the mouth when viewed from top should either be in the shape of a roundish roof tile commonly known as ¡§Roof Tile Mouth¡¨ or with a wide jaw in the shape of a toad¡¦s mouth, known as ¡§Toad Mouth¡¨. A most distinctive feature of traditional Shar-pei. Top of muzzle is curved like a roof tile. No padded or bulge on top.	A distinctive feature of the breed. Broad from root to tip of nose with no suggestion of tapering. Lips and top of muzzle well padded. Bulge at the base of the nose permissible.
¡@	Snipy muzzle is not a fault, only less preferred over broader muzzle.	Snipy muzzle is a serious fault.

^{Coat is another distinctive feature separating the two types. It is easy to differentiate the coat between the two types, and totally different preference when judging the two types. In general terms, Shar-pei has horse coat and brush coat, and sometimes people even refer to a bear coat. They are only referring to the difference in length of the coat with horse coat being the shortest, followed by brush coat and the longest is the bear coat. A bear coat is too long to be shown in a dog show which means it is over 1 inch in length.}

Coat/Hair

Short, hard, bristly and as straight as possible. Length must not be over 2.5cm  long. Horse coat is shorter than brush coat. Horse coat is preferred over brush coat

Short, harsh and bristly. The coat is straight and offstanding on the body, but generally flatter on the limbs. The coat may vary in length from 1cm to 2.5 cm. Brush coat preferred over horse coat

^{For a traditional type Shar-pei, the coat must be short and hard and therefore the judges should prefer the shorter horse coat over any other longer length coat. The Nr.309/1994 standard says "Length must not be over 2.5cm and this preference implies that the coat should be shorter and harder the better. Over the years, the judges in the Western world developed to prefer the brush coat over the horse coat. The horse coat was treated as if it is a fault because the Nr.309/1999 standard requires “from 1 cm to 2.5 cm” which implies that below 1 cm can be a problem. This description is inferior than the AKC standard for Shar-pei coat which says "coat lengths may range from extremely short “horse coat” up to the “brush coat¡¨ not to exceed one inch in length at the withers.¡¨ In the U.S., although both "horse coat¨ and "brush coat¨ are within the standard ”brush coat¨ is preferred without much explanation. The Nr.309/1999 went even one step further specifically excluding the "horse coat¨ (below 1 cm) from the standard. At least, the FCI can take the credit that Nr.309/1999 standard is more specific than the AKC standard.}

^{So the coat of the Western type Shar-pei has eventually become a short hair Chow Chow. If you look at a bear coat Western Shar-pei, it is already a step short of becoming a full Chow Chow. This is not a surprise at all because Shar-pei evolved from the Tang dog and Chow Chow is also a Tang dog.}

^{Traditional Shar-pei breeders place important emphasis on "Mou Ngan¨ meaning "coat and eye¨. Coat in Cantonese is pronounced "Mou¨ and eye is "Ngan¨. This is definitely true as the name of this breed itself implies. The name Shar-pei literally means "Sandy Skin¨ and this "Sand¨ like texture is the result of very short and stiff standing coat on the body. ¡§Ngan¡¨ or the eyes give the Shar-pei its brave, daring, and confident look.}

Eyes

Medium sized, almond shaped. As dark as possible. Light colored eyes are undesirable.

Dark, almond-shaped with a scowling expression. Lighter color permissible in dilute-colored dogs.

^{Without a proper "Ngan¨ or eye set in the facial look, a Shar-pei can have all the correct features but still lacks a majestic look. An almond shaped eye means more specifically a triangular eye, which is an essential element in the facial expression.}

^{The tail is another very distinctive feature which separates the traditional type from the Western type. In this case, it is unusual that Western judges tend to interpret the standard very broadly and at times close their eyes on the requirement of the tails. The key words are ¡§Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point¡¨. This ¡§tapering to a fine point¡¨ need to be strictly enforced if it needs to be a good Shar-pei. ¡§A fine point¡¨ means it is almost sharp and pointed and there can be no other interpretation for this.}

Tail

There are several types of tail. The most common are the curl, and double ring; this can be a big or a small curl. The tail must be firm and tightly over the hip. Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point is implied here as a preferred tail.

Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point. May be carried high and curved, carried in tight curl or curved over or to either side of the back. The tail is set very high, a characteristic feature of the breed. This feature is usually disregarded in most judging in shows.

^{This is written even in the Nr.309/1999 Western type meat-mouth Shar-pei standard but this is not strictly enforced. For the traditional type breeders here in China and Hong Kong, they refer to the different types of tail by object names such as spear, sickle, hook, and coin. Except for the coin which means a double coiled tail, all the other descriptions are sharp pointed objects. Western judges will not hesitate to select a Champion even the hair on the tail is quite long. "Tapering to a fine point¨ is not upheld at all for Western type Shar-pei, but this is of utmost importance when referring to a traditional Shar-pei.}

^{Finally the wrinkles. The word “wrinkle¨ is the curse for Shar-pei from day one when it became known to the world. The skin happens to be loosely attached to the body but not to such extend as wrinkled and folded all over the body. Basically by appearance, the skin should be well fitted onto the body with a little fold at the withers and some decorative wrinkles on the forehead. Shar-pei originally has nothing to do with the wrinkles. The wrinkled image is mainly a Western market creation.}

Wrinkles	In the adult dog pronounced wrinkles are only allowed over the forehead and withers.	Folds of skin on body in mature dogs highly undesirable except on withers and base of tail, which show moderate wrinkling.
¡@	Wrinkles on the forehead must be apparent but must not obstruct the eyes...The wrinkles on the forehead form a marking which resembles the Chinese Symbol for Longevity.	Wrinkles on forehead and cheeks continuing to form dewlap.
¡@	... loose skin around the throat. The loose skin should not be excessive. Excessive skin around the body in adults is most undesirable.	The loose skin under the neck should not be excessive.
¡@	Slight fold of skin on withers.	Wrinkles over skull and withers.