Snuff Bottle

The snuff bottle is a container for powdered tobacco, and was introduced to China from the west.

China is renowned as the “home of the snuff bottle” as a result of the exquisite craftsmanship displayed and high technical standards, with the tiny bottles sometimes regarded as ‘miniature examples of a myriad of skills.

Around 1700, snuff bottles were popular with emperors and ordinary folk alike. 

The bottles were made out of many different materials such as gold, silver, jade, crystal, and amber. The more valuable the material, the greater the owner’s stature.