Snuff bottles

Snuff bottles first appeared in China in the Ming dynasty(1368-1644) and, as their name suggests, were originally indeed used as a container for snuff tobacco, first of all by the Manchu, Mongols and Tibetans. The reason for their popularity at that time is to be found in the customs of those ethnic minorities: because those ethnic groups mainly led a nomadic life that entailed frequent use of hay or firewood.