Chinese Carved Agate Snuff Bottle with Relief Rat Decoration. Pear shaped body with the carved rat decoration in different colors. Stopper intact. 

Size: 1 1/4 x 2 1/2 x 3/4 in. 

Snuff bottles were used during the Qing Dynasty to contain powdered tobacco, as smoking tobacco was made illegal early on during the Qing Dynasty, but the use of snuff was allowed because the Chinese considered snuff to be a remedy for common illnesses such as colds, headaches, and stomach disorders. The use of snuff and snuff bottles to carry it in spread through the upper class, and by the end of the 17th Century it had become a part of common social rituals to use snuff. This lasted through most of the 18th Century, as the trend eventually spread into the rest of the country and into every social class. It was even customary to offer a pinch of snuff as a way to greet friends and relatives, and snuff bottles soon became an object of beauty and a way to represent status and wealth. The public use of snuff decreased with the fall of the Qing Dynasty and died away soon after the establishment of the Republic of China. However, contemporary snuff bottles are still being made, and can be purchased in souvenir shops, flea markets, and museum gift shops. Original snuff bottles from the Qing period are particularly sought after by serious collectors and museums. 

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