A rare 18th-century terracotta sculpture of a dog by pioneering British artist Anne Seymour Damer has been placed under a temporary export bar, amid concerns it could leave the UK unless a
domestic buyer steps forward.
The work, known as ‘Shock Dog’, has been valued at £635,000, with an additional £27,000 in VAT that can be reclaimed by an eligible UK institution. The export bar has been imposed to give British museums or galleries time to raise funds and acquire the sculpture for the nation.
Anne Damer is widely recognised as one of Britain’s most important early sculptors and the first woman to achieve real prominence in the field. Active during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, she was an honorary exhibitor at the Royal Academy for more than three decades, from 1784 to 1818, and showed over 30 works during her lifetime.
‘Shock Dog’ is among the few surviving examples of Damer’s sculptures depicting domestic pets, a genre for which she was especially admired in her own time. Shock dogs were small, rough-coated companion animals—similar to Maltese dogs—that were fashionable among Britain’s 18th-century households. Damer’s sensitive treatment of such subjects has since earned her recognition as the first specialist sculptor of domestic animals in Britain.
The sculpture also forms part of a broader artistic tradition that emerged in the early 1700s, celebrating beloved animals through both painting and sculpture. These works reflected changing attitudes towards pets, portraying them not simply as status symbols but as cherished members of the household.
Culture Minister, Baroness Twycross said: “Anne Damer was the first female trailblazer in her field of work and contributed to the tradition of creating artworks of domestic pets.
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”.
Mark Hallett, Committee Member: “Anne Seymour Damer was one of Britain’s earliest women sculptors, and an artist who was highly regarded by her peers. She regularly displayed her works at Georgian London’s leading exhibition venue, the Royal Academy, and gained renown as a portraitist not only of people but also of animals. Her terracotta Shock Dog shows her at her most expressive and accomplished, and conveys the presence of a beloved pet with extraordinary fidelity and liveliness. Preserved in pristine condition, and still capable of generating wonder thanks to its intricate artistry and uncanny realism, this is a work that fully deserves to be kept for the nation”.
The export bar was recommended after the committee concluded that the sculpture met all three Waverley criteria: its close connection to British history and cultural life, its outstanding aesthetic value, and its significance for understanding Damer’s career and the wider development of animal portraiture.
The export licence decision has been deferred until 29 April 2026. After this initial deferral period, the owners will have 15 business days to consider any purchase offers at the recommended price. Should an option agreement be signed, a second deferral period of four months will follow.
The Minister may also consider offers below the full valuation from public bodies through private treaty sales, a route that can provide financial advantages for institutions seeking to acquire important works for public collections.