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25 Aug 2020

25 of the very best dogs in our collections!

A silver box in the shape of a pug’s head. It has orange eyes and a gilt base.
A snuff box with a difference!
From companions in portraits and photographs to ceramic snuff boxes and ornate candlesticks, dogs appear throughout our collections – sometimes in quite surprising places! We’ve selected 25 examples from our properties around Scotland.
A silver box in the shape of a pug’s head. It has orange eyes and a gilt base. A black and white photograph of a cat and a small terrier dog sitting side by side on a stone step outside a wooden door. The stripy cat has a rather grumpy expression; the dog is looking to the left. A stuffed toy dog on display. It has pale cream fur with black ears, eyes and nose. It is in a sitting position. A deep pottery dog bowl, with brown edging and cream in the main. It has an inscription on the side reading: Doe not vaiken sleiping Dogs. A carved wooden chair with a red velvet seat and arm rests stands on display, against a red wall. Carved dogs form the arms, and there is a carved panel by the head rest. A pair of candlesticks face each other. Both have bronze-style greyhounds lying on a marble base, with gilt candle holders coming out from the dogs’ backs. Both dogs have a gold collar. An oil painting of a rich woman seated on a chair and holding a small dog on her lap with one arm. The dog has a long, shaggy coat. The woman wears a blue silk dress with a white lace shawl. Her hair is piled elaborately on top of her head. A white ceramic mug, with the handle to the right, is photographed against a plain grey background. The mug has a cartoon-style illustration of Old Mother Hubbard looking in a cupboard, with her dog sitting behind her. A dream bubble is drawn above the dog, with a picture of a steak in it. Next to the drawing is some text: Old Mother Hubbard | She went to the cupboard | To get her | Poor doggie | A bone. An oil painting of a sitting white, grey and brown dog, looking towards the painter. It has a rough coat and wears a studded leather collar with a buckle. A porcelain ornament of a spaniel-type dog, with long ears, is displayed against a plain grey background. It has an orange and white coat with yellow eyes, and is depicted sitting on its hind legs. A black and white photograph of a white, shaggy small dog, lying on the grass and looking at the camera. A china ornament of a green lion figure is displayed against a plain grey background. The main lion rests a paw on a smaller yellow lion cub figure. The main lion has a yellow block on its back, in which the incense stick would stand. An oil painting of a large, shaggy, golden brown dog, looking directly at the viewer. It is lit in such a way as its coat seems to gleam. A small round box with a closed lid is displayed against a plain grey background. The lid has a gold edging. On the lid and the side of the box are pictures of gold Japanese-style lions, against a navy background. An oil painting of a border collie-type dog looking into a river. It is holding a slab of meat in its mouth and leaning over a bridge. Stone cottages stand in the background. An oil painting of a handsome white and brown pointer dog, standing facing the left. It stands in water and is holding up one of its front paws. Trees and fields are in the background. A china ornament of a brown and white sitting beagle-type dog is displayed against a plain grey background. Its face has rather a disgruntled expression. A pair of two-handled glazed pottery beer mugs are displayed side by side against a plain grey background. They are mostly cream with a darker brown rim. The handles are in the shape of sausage dogs. The bodies have embossed scenes of hunting and carousing. A framed picture of a needlepoint dog is displayed against a plain grey background. The frame is black with a gold inner mount. The needlepoint dog is brown and black and is sitting on a cushion. It has a wide chunky collar. A gilt-framed black and white painting of Robert Burns hangs on a wire-trellis wall. The painting shows Robert Burns seated at his desk, with a border collie lying on the floor beside him. An oil painting of two young royal children, shown standing in a forest. The young boy wears a red jacket and rests his arm on the back of a large greyhound. The young girl wears a long white dress with an elaborate head dress. A small dog stands in the background behind her. A black and white photograph, with coloured parts added, of a young Japanese woman sitting on the floor. She has a wooden box on her lap, and rests her hand on a small black and white dog, lying beside her. An oil painting of an aristocratic woman wearing a pink wraparound dress and holding a small black dog under her arm. Her hair is tied tightly away from her face and she wears a wide black choker necklace. The painting is labelled Lady Hailes in the top left corner, with text further down stating: Helen Fergusson, wife of Sir David Dalrymple (Lord Hailes). The painting is signed by Seton in the bottom left corner. A china ornament of a sitting pug, with its head stretched round to the side, displayed against a plain grey background. It has a white body and a darker head and tip of tail. It is scratching its ear with a hind leg. It has a red collar with bells on it. A brass circular dog collar is displayed against a plain grey background. It is labelled Duke Gordon at the very front, and the object number is written in black pen on the inside of the collar, by the clasp.

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