a 15th century dog collar

public domain thanks wikimedia commons

Pisanello (Italian; 1st half of the 15th century) had the ability to portray the high elegance of his time with grace and clarity. Look at this, for example: I could call it a study of a dog's head with collar/muzzle, every rivet and stitch there on the headpiece to copy if we wanted to make another. I choose to call it a portrait instead (and yes, that's a woman's portrait visible from the other side), for Pisanello has caught the creature's resigned head tilt, the eye beginning to droop closed: why do I have to stand here? why do I have to have this muzzle on?