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Snuff is believed to have originated with the aboriginal people of Brazil. European explorers brought it back to their home ports in the 15th century and later introduced it into China.
In China, snuff powder was preserved in traditional narrow-necked medicine bottles that were decorated with elaborate designs. On the inside of a glass or crystal bottle, artists with extremely thin brushes painted pictures in a technique that came to be known as nei hua, or "inside painting." Over time, the painted snuff bottles became an art form. Painted snuff bottles are keenly sought by international art connoisseurs and collectors, but they're no longer used to store snuff because the tobacco powder could easily damage the paintings.
(Video source: Kwai, edited by Wang Xiangyu)
