Chinese snuff bottles had been a sophisticated fashion statement over the course of Chinese history, from the time that they were used for the purpose of holding powdered tobacco. As artistic and fashionable pieces, they came in a wide array of designs, styles, variety, and materials. Chinese snuff bottles have always been extraordinarily gorgeous small objects. These exquisite miniature works of art, a product of ingenious craftsmanship, are a significant hallmark of the Qing Dynasty’s contribution to the field of arts. 

 

Tobacco, brought into China from Europe, was used as snuff after the establishment of the Qing Dynasty in 1644 when the smoking of tobacco was forbidden. Tobacco as snuff was permitted because it was believed to hold medicinal properties against such ailments as colds, headaches, and stomach illnesses. The powdered version of tobacco was, thus, distributed via small bottles just like other medicines in China at that time. 

 

By the end of the 17th century, snuff and the exquisite small bottle it came in were a fixture among the elite in Beijing. Until most of the 18th century, the use of snuff was a popular social ritual among the upper echelons of Chinese society. The Chinese snuff bottle became a coveted object, indication, and obvious expression of art, sophisticated taste, and money. It was certainly a status symbol of the rich. By the end of the 18th century, the habit of snuff and the consequent collecting of snuff bottles have become widespread in the whole of China, and among all social classes.  

 

However, the popularity of snuff and the snuff bottle also ended with the fall of the Qing dynasty. The habit of snuffing and the fashion of the snuff bottle died with the revolution that gave birth to the 1912 Republic. But the collecting of exquisite snuff bottles as miniature works of art continued to this day.