It is widely recognized that Chinese made vintage snuff bottles are among the most valuable in the world, however, it is hard to determine how these items got into the country in the first place. Some believe it was Russian or Portuguese traders who first brought such bottles to China, while others credit it to marauding Manchus.

Though early Chinese abhorred the practice of tobacco smoking, they believed that snuff or tobacco mixed with spices and herbs possessed medicinal properties. These mixes were used by the Chinese to treat migraines and other ailments.

When the Jesuits visited China in 1894, they presented an ornate snuff box to Kangxi, who was the sitting emperor at that time. While Kangxi appreciated the gift, he felt that the box would not be able protect snuff against the humid climate of China since it cannot be sealed tightly. He realized that traditional Chinese medicine bottles could do a better job of keeping snuff intact.

Later on, Emperor Kangxi commissioned artisans to make snuff bottles for him and his family. Beautiful and highly decorated snuff bottles soon became status symbols in the imperial court, and officials were known to often take out their bottles in public for others to admire them.

These bottles which usually stood 3 inches tall or less, were made of different materials such as glass, jade, limestone, amethyst, metal, and agate. Many also came with spoons that were made of ivory, metal, tortoise shell, or bone.

When tobacco became widely available in China, the habit of tobacco sniffing became extremely popular all over the country. This led box makers to produce cheap porcelain snuff boxes for the masses, which today are not considered valuable and often ignored by collectors.

In the 1920s, the Chinese stopped using snuff. However, this did not prevent artisans from making snuff bottles, who then found a new market in collectors. Most collectors though prefer bottles that have been used to store snuff.