Mr. Wee was very fond of dogs. And he commissioned a China artist to paint dogs in snuff bottles. Both sides. And he owned many breeds of dogs in his lifetime. But his favourite was his first dog, a mongrel called Teddy. But mongrel was not displayed here. And the second breed that he loved were Pomeranians: a dog named, Pinky, another called Lucky. Only two, we had, Pomeranians.”
Painted snuff bottles are an art form that date back to early-1700s Imperial China. The emperor and the court would commission these containers to hold precious tobacco imported from North America. Over time, snuff bottles became a status symbol among the public.