With imperial support, the 18th century witnessed the transformation of the snuff bottle from a daily utensil to a treasured artwork. In addition to glass, Chinese craftsmen gradually found a multitude of materials suitable for snuff bottles, such as porcelain, agate, brass, amber, bamboo, coral, and enamels. Shapes of snuff bottles were mainly square, circle, flat, hexagonal, or octagonal. Painting, calligraphy , and carving were widely used on the exterior surfaces. Many of these bottles were painted or inscribed with mountains and rivers, animals and figures, or poems. The base was frequently marked with an emperor and his reign.

The fever of collecting this delicate artwork caught on. Exaggerated though the following story might be, it does hold a grain of truth. A Qing official was fond of snuff bottles. He carried two snuff bottles with him every day, one red and the other black, because he preferred these two colors most. When he was marking a paper for the imperial examination , the official, rather than reading the papers carefully, let the color of his snuff bottle decide whether the examinee would pass or fail. Like drawing lots, if he drew out of his pocket the red snuff bottle, the examinee would pass. If it was the black one, the examinee would fail.

More than the apple of many curio collectors' eyes, these exquisite containers were considered a symbol of the social status of the owners. The finer the snuff bottle, the more respected was its owner. Those who didn't like collecting curios had to develop a liking towards snuff and snuff bottles, in order to show off. Some wealthy people carried different snuff bottles every day. Some carried different snuff bottles decorated with different birds according to the month. Snuff bottles painted with one bird would be taken on the first day of every month by the Chinese lunar calendar . On the second day, a bottle with two birds would be taken. On the third day, a bottle with three birds, continuing on in this way until the start of the next month. Some changed snuff bottles according to the weather, different ones for overcast, sunny, windy, or rainy days. However frequently the owner changed his snuff bottles, the rule was that the bottles should be of equivalent value.

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