Snuff - the powdered form of tobacco - was kept in a small bottle. This is a fine ivory snuff bottle of cylindrical form.
Carved around the sides in relief are the Eight Immortals. There is a spoon fixed to the stopper, and after snuffing, it was returned to the flask.
Snuff taking was considered to be medicinal and health-giving. It gained both court and popular acceptance in Qing China. Snuffing was extremely popular in the court of the Kangxi emperor. It later spread to the south to become a nationwide habit.
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