Origin of the Maltese

To chronicle the origin of the Maltese, one starts with an age-old
problem: Did the breed originate on the island of Malta or does its name and ancestry begin in the Sicilian town of Melita? There is plenty of evidence
to support both claims, but one thing is certain: the Maltese was depicted on
ancient Greek and Roman works of art dating back to approximately 500 B.C.
The scribe, Strabo, writing in the early part of the first century A.D., stated,
"There is a town in Sicily called Melita from whence are exported many lovely
white dogs called Canis Melitei." During that same era, Maltese were
recorded in existence on the island of Malta. The Roman Governor Publius
had a Maltese named Issa whom a poet of the time, Marcus Valerius
Martialis, wrote in one of his epigrams:

"Issa is more frolicsome than Cattula's sparrow.
Issa is purer than a dove's kiss.
Issa is gentler than a maiden.
Issa is more precious than Indian gems,and,
lest the last days that she sees light should
snatch her from him forever,
Publius has had her painted."

A number of other ancient authors discoursed on the beauty, intelligence
and lovable qualities of Maltese dogs-Callimicus the Elder (about 350
B.C.), Pliny the Elder (50 A.D.), and Saint Clement of Alexandria around
the second century. One of the more celebrated pieces written about
Maltese was penned by Dr. Johannes Caius, physician to Queen Elizabeth I,
about 1570, in Latin:

"There is among us another kind of
highbred dog, but outside the common
run those which Callimachus called
Melitei from the Island of Melita. . .
That kind is very small indeed and
chiefly sought after for the pleasure
and amusement of women. The
smaller the kind, the more pleasing it
is; so that they may carry them in their
bosoms, in their beds and in their
arms while riding in their carriages."

Aldrovanus, who died in 1607 and who also wrote in Latin, said he saw
one of these dogs sold for the equiva- lent of $2,000. Considering the value
of the dollar in the time of Queen Elizabeth, the price paid would be
equivalent to a five-figure sum today. Since the time of Elizabeth I, the
Maltese has been a frequent subject for writers, who invariably drew atten-
tion to its small size. In 1607, E. Topsell wrote that they were "not big-
ger than common ferrets." Not a very flattering description, but 200 years
later, in about 1792, Linnaeus referred to them as being "about the size of a
squirrel." Danberton, in his History Naturelle, wrote, "ladies carried them
in their sleeve."

 

History of the Maltese

More interesting to many people than literary references and also per-
haps more precise are portraits. The Maltese is a breed whose fortune it
has always been to attract, quite pos- sibly due to famous owners, the atten-
tion of famous artists. For example, Sir Joshua Reynolds's painting of Nellie
O'Brien dated in 1763 includes an unmistakable Maltese companion, typ-
ical in many respects to those you see today. Also, Sir Edward Landseer
made a feature of a Maltese, but established himself a more competent
artist than a prophet when he titled the painting The Last of the Race. Clearly,
Landseer thought that the breed was destined tor extinction.

Not only was the 1840 prophecy unfulfilled, the "race" is thriving in pop-
ularity and of the 137 American Kennel Club's registered breeds, it
ranks twenty-third (up one position from 1992) with 17,491 new registra-
tions. The breed did fade somewhat around World War I, but it appears
that the risk of extinction is over. In the United States, in 1970, only about
4,000 Maltese were registered. Today, of the 18 toy breeds (see The Toy
Breeds, to the left) registered by the AKC, the Maltese is sixth in popularity
accounting for about 12 percent of the registrations tor the Toy Group.

As with so many breeds, England's Queen Victoria was responsible for
earning the Maltese many lifelong friends. The following story is well
known to Maltese historians: A man known only as "Mr. Lukey," found a
pair of Maltese in Manila (Philippines) in 1841. Lukey paid an extremely high
price for the dogs with the intention of presenting them to Her Majesty. During
the long voyage of about nine months to England, the dogs were totally
neglected and the condition of their coats on arrival made it inadvisable to
offer the gift. At least, however, the pair was bred with success, and most
breed afficionados agree that these two dogs were the ancestors of a majority
of all Maltese living in the present in Great Britain and the United States.