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| There are many different beliefs as to who introduced the use of tobacco to the Chinese. I have read that tobacco was brought to China by the Russians, Manchu, Portuguese, and the Jesuit Priests. I would venture to say that it is likely that it was introduced in different regions, by different people, around the same time. That time would be the early to mid 1600's. Snuff was considered a more acceptable way of consuming tobacco than smoking. Snuff was originally stored in Snuff Boxes brought from the West, but the high humidity in China made them unusable. Thus the Snuff Bottle was invented. Actually, small glass bottles were used for medicine long before Snuff found its way into Chinese Society. Through the centuries the use of Snuff has been both embraced and condemned by the Emperors of China. In 1638 the use or sale of tobacco was illegal, yet a couple decades later, the finest craftsmen in the country were making Snuff Bottles for Empower. During the 1700's snuff increased in popularity among the Chinese, which created a great demand for Snuff Bottles. They became conversation pieces and collectable items almost immediately. |
