A striking dog sculpture by one of the first British women sculptors could be kept in the UK after the government put a temporary export ban on the piece. 

The work is an 18th-century terracotta by Anne Damer. 

It shows a Shock Dog, a contemporary nickname for the Maltese breed. 

Damer (1748 - 1828) is the first known British woman to achieve a reputation as a sculptor. She is considered the first arctic to specialise in domestic pet portraiture. 

She came from an aristocratic family and enjoyed a privileged upbringing that included extensive education. She also wrote novels, painted, travelled extensively and was herself the subject of several notable portraits. For a time she was friends with Josephine, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. 

Anne Damer in a self portrait bust now in the Uffizi in Florence. She lived a vibrant, public life and was a considerable figure in her time. Image by Michalis Famelis, Wikimedia Commons. 

The Department of Culture Media and Sport has not allowed an export licence for the piece on advice from the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.

They advised that the piece met what are called “Waverley criteria”: an outstanding connection with Britain’s history and national life, outstanding aesthetic importance, and its significance in the artist’s oeuvre and the development of art in Britain. 

Culture Minister Baroness Twycross said: “I hope that a UK institution or gallery can be found to keep this terracotta Shock Dog in Britain, where generations can continue to appreciate the work of this celebrated female sculptor and admire this wonderful example of realism.”

For now, the licence cannot be awarded before April 29, 2026. Then, a 15-business-day window will open for offers that meet the £650,000 valuation. A second deferral of as long as four months can follow.