Tibetan brass foo dog snuff bottle with turquoise, red coral and a green stone. A snuff bottle is in excellent condition, missing a few stones. Lenght: 2.5 inch, height: 2.25 inch. Tobacco was introduced by the Portuguese to the court at Beijing some time during the mid- to late-16th century. It was originally smoked in pipes before the establishment of the Qing Dynasty. The trend spread into the rest of the country and into every social class. It was common to offer a pinch of snuff as a way to greet friends and relatives. Snuff bottles soon became an object of beauty and a way to represent status and wealth.