Throughout history, people have been using various types of containers to store tobacco and other forms of smoking materials. Many times these containers were called "snuff bottles" and they were commonly used by both men and women throughout the world. Snuff bottles were commonly used during the Qing Dynasty in China to contain ground powdered tobacco. Smoking tobacco was only illegal during the Qing Dynasty since the Chinese regarded snuff as a cure for common diseases like colds, headaches and diarrhea. This is the reason why you will often see Chinese people throughout the centuries smoking in large quantities while sitting in front of their fireplaces. There is a great deal of nostalgia and fondness for this time in history when people would gather around their fireplaces to enjoy the warmth of the flames and the relaxing smoke that were produced by the act of smoking.
A variety of other items were also made from the powdered leaves of certain trees, which we call "Qing dynasty tobacco", during this time. These items included Chinese herbal medicine, and even Chinese steel pipes. The discovery of the metal welding process that could prevent the pipes from rusting when it was being used to create a fire engine in the late nineteenth century changed the way that people thought about the qing symbols. The symbols became more defined and began to be associated with the Chinese language and the entire concept of writing.
In the twentieth century, as the integration of the West and East took place, the meaning of Chinese snuff bottles began to change drastically. For one thing, many Americans, who had never actually seen Chinese food, began to associate all forms of Chinese cuisine with the symbol of the tong. The tong symbol is a five pointed star that has five pointed ends that resemble the five pointed stars of the Chinese language. After years of seeing them associated with the Chinese language and culture, it was widely accepted for the United States to use the symbol "tong" whenever referring to Chinese food.
The symbols used on the Chinese snuff bottles are also commonly found on other items throughout China. In some cases, these bottles are imprinted with motifs that are common throughout Chinese culture. There are motifs such as the dragon, an animal, and numerous geometrical patterns. The motifs can range from basic shapes, like circles and squares, to more detailed patterns. A wide variety of motifs can be found on Chinese restaurant menus and cookbooks, but they are often used as decorative elements or to separate individual dishes on a menu.
The most unique aspect of Chinese snuff bottles is their unique design. Unlike any other bottle design, the qing is designed to look like a flower. Most bottle designs include floral motifs, so it was only natural to incorporate the symbol of love in a bottle designed to represent Chinese food. In addition to the unique design, there is also a rich history associated with the qing.
The Chinese have been using jade for a long time, associated with many different symbols. For example, jade was used in ancient times to create water fountains. As people began to discover the beautiful shades of jade, they began to use the stone in building magnificent works of art. Although many of the ancient Chinese love to use jade as an icon, there is no question that they are also very proud of the unique Chinese antique snuff bottles that have been developed by the Chinese.
