The Great Collection of Cultural Relics in the Palace Museum: Snuff Bottles

Author: Li Jiufang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The habit of inhaling snuff originated from the Native Americans in America. They added processed tobacco leaves to flowers and other plants, grinding them into powder for inhalation, which was said to relieve fatigue, cure headaches, and alleviate colds. In the early 16th century, after Columbus's second voyage to the American continent, he introduced the techniques of growing tobacco and the method of making snuff to Europe. Subsequently, the habit of inhaling snuff gradually spread in Europe and was highly favored by the nobility.
Based on historical records and the analysis of physical artifacts, it can be determined that snuff and snuff boxes first appeared in China during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1662–1722). According to the book Xiangzu Biji, written in the 44th year of Kangxi's reign (1705), it records: "Recently, in the capital, there has been the production of snuff, which is said to improve eyesight and has the effect of warding off epidemics. It is stored in glass bottles, with various shapes and colors, including red, purple, yellow, white, black, and green. Some are as clear as crystal, others as bright as fire, and they are highly exquisite. A spoon is used to inhale the snuff, which is then returned to the bottle. They are all manufactured by the imperial court, and while the common people have imitated them, they are ultimately inferior." The author of this book, Wang Shizhen, was a minister during the Kangxi era and had extensive knowledge of the imperial court. The specific details he recorded are likely reliable.
Additionally, according to relevant records, in the 23rd year of Kangxi's reign (1684), the emperor made his first southern inspection and met Western missionaries, Father Giuseppe Castiglione (also known as Bi Jia) and Father Ignatius Kung (also known as Wang Ruwang) in Jiangning (now Nanjing). The two presented valuable gifts they had brought from the West to the Kangxi emperor, including snuff. This indicates that snuff was introduced to China during the Kangxi era with the arrival of Western missionaries and first became popular among the imperial family and nobility. It was not until the 18th century that it spread to the general populace.