Inside Painted Chinese Snuff Bottles
There are some really incredible antique Chinese snuff bottles, mostly made of glass, that have been painted, but on the inside of the bottle! When one looks at the size of the hole it does seem to be a very difficult achievement, yet they have succeeded in painting attractive scenes, often including calligraphy, such as a poem, or a few lines, apart from the artists signature.
There are many poor modern inside painted bottles available, but there are some modern ones that can be very attractive to collect too.
Some antique snuff bottles that are highly valued are painted with a portrait on one side and calligraphy on the other. When one considers, that they have had to paint the eye brows and eye lashes before the remaining essentials to create these portraits, that are so good and detailed that they almost look like miniature photographic prints, it is easy to understand why they are so highly prized!
But what I feel are also remarkable are the inside painted snuff bottles that were not originally made to be painted by these artists. I know of a bottle where the painter has taken a very poorly hollowed rock crystal snuff bottle and painted the inside with a wonderfully detailed scene of colorful fish that extend all round the internal surfaces, it also includes his signature. In this instance the two internal opposite surfaces of the bottle are only about 3millimeters apart (about the same size as the hole) so how one side could be painted without spoiling the other is really hard to believe.
To see this and more articles (with photographs) see http://www.jncohen.net/antiques/articles.htm
Quit Smoking With Snus
Smokers Turn to a Smokeless Tobacco Alternative
Smokers Turn to a Smokeless Tobacco Alternative
Tobacco is grown because the leaves serve a few purposes. They can be smoked. They can be chewed. They can be sniffed. It becomes addictive because of the chemical called Nicotine.
Tobacco is not harmless as once was believed. It contains at least 19 chemicals known to cause cancer. It gets even worse. There are well over 4,000 more chemicals such as acetone, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and cyanide. It also contains methane, propane, and butane.
It’s been reported that the number of smokers is down however, the users of smokeless tobacco alternatives is ever increasing.
The effects of nicotine are many and could eventually cause permanent damage to health and even death. It is a very highly addictive agent that changes mood and behavior.
It stimulates the central nervous system. Epinephrine is increased and stimulates the brain’s pleasure center. It affects bowel function, saliva production, and increases bronchial secretions. This results in the feeling of relaxation during stressful events that many feel.
Diabetics should not smoke because nicotine can cause blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise. It also makes Insulin levels go up. Other issues related to nicotine are the occurrence of several kinds of cancer, heart disease, respiratory problems such as emphysema, and
blood clots such as aneurysms and stroke. For pregnant women there could be dire circumstances for their babies. Many are born with low birth weights and are at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Miscarriage, premature labor and births, and also the infant may be born still born. This is definitely not a pretty picture.
Countless people have tried to quit and couldn’t and others ask why should they?
If you quit smoking you can improve or even reverse some of the complications that come from nicotine addiction. Many are now turning to a smokeless tobacco alternative, chewing tobacco. This is no less a problem in fact users of chewing tobacco have a risk of getting mouth cancer 50 times greater than non-users.
A healthier smokeless tobacco alternative is to turn to herbal products. They are pure herbs, perfectly legal, and they work. They can be purchased in traditional smoke shops but from online smoke shops as well.
Herbal chews are a mixture of herbs or a single herb that is used as a smokeless tobacco alternative. One online smoke shop (see below) is outstanding in its products, its guaranteed quality of herbs, and their desire that people become healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
Their products including tobacco and nicotine herbal chews are pure herbs and botanicals.
They will consult with a person to find the appropriate herb or herbal mix to meet that person’s specific needs. Always consult your doctor to be on the safe side.
Discover the herbal smoke blends we personally use – http://www.herbal-smoke-shop-guide.com
After years of research in to herbal blends, we have found that our herbal blends of choice contain some of the most natural and purest herbs in the world, especially when it comes to manufacturing these herbal blends.
Jean Helmet is one of the editors at a collection of nutritional and herbal web sites, you can learn more about herbal smoke at our website – Herbal Smoke Shop.
Snus – A short Introduction To Swedish Snus
Swedish Snus
Swedish Snus is a smokeless tobacco product that origins from Sweden. Snus has now become very popular all over the world and one of the reasons might be the reports that snus is not as dangerous as smoking. One of them was published last year in the Lancet, a U.K. medical journal, there are much more information about Swedish snus on internet. It is also spit free in contradiction to the American snuff, Copenhagen long cut, Skoal smokeless tobacco, Timberwolf snuff or other brands of American tobacco.
Swedish snus comes in mainly two different style, loose weight snus and portion-packed snus.
Loose weight snus is more more experienced users where you have to make the portion by hand. Loose snus gives you the possibility to make it the exact size you like. Many also thinks the flavour is more well-defined.
Portion packed snus on the other hand comes packed in small pouches, the material of the bags are similar to the material of teabags. These are easy to use and perfect if you haven’t tried snus before. To make it a bit more complicated the portion snus comes in three sizes, mini, large and maxi where the large portion is the most common. All this is possible to order on premium snus online. Mini snus is more widely used by women. There are also two different types of the material of the pouches, original and white. White snus is newer and becoming more and more popular for each year. Which you will prefer is very hard to say when everyone has different taste.
History Of Snuff
Snuff in the 15th Century
1492: Christopher Columbus discovers America 1497: First report of tobacco and use of Snuff by Taino-Indians on Haiti
During Christopher Columbus second voyage to America, he stumbled upon native Taino-Indians sniffing tobacco through large Y-shaped tubes.
The Italian monk Romano Pane is believed to have introduced this curious art to Europe!
Snuff in the 16th Century
- 1548: Luis de Goes brings tobacco to Portugal, a relative of his, Damiano de Goes introduces them to them to a French Doctor called Jean Nicot
- 1561: Doctor Jean Nicot sends tobacco leafs to the French Queen Catherine de’ Medici
- 1561: Catherine de’ Medici grinds tobacco leafs and snuffs it, first production and use of Snuff in Europe
The origin of snuff tobacco can be traced back to to Catherine de MEDICIS (1519-1589) who was Queen of France during the reign of henri II. Her son François II suffered from terrible migraines that no Doctor had been able to remedy.
In 1561, the French ambassador in Lisbon (Doctor Jean Nicot), discovered the healing properties of tobacco and sent some tobacco leaf to Catherine de’ Medici, who ground it into a powder. This was given to Francois to soothe his migraines and proved to be a remarkable success. Needless to say this was introduced to the whole Court where the first culture of snuffing is thought to have originated. Its use gradually increased across France and as a tribute to Jean NICOT, botanists named this tabacco plant : “Nicotiana tabacum”.
It didn’t take long for this medicinal remedy to take off as a pleasurable habit and develop into a fashion amongst royalty and aristocracy throughout the world.
Snuff in the 17th Century
- 1620: Europe’s first Snuff factory established in Sevilla, Spain
- 1624: Pope Urban VIII threatens excommunication for snuff users; sneezing is thought too close to sexual ecstasy
- 1637: France: King Louis XIII enjoys snuff and repeals restricions on its use
- 1642: Pope Urban VIII issued a formal bull against tobacco,
- 1643: Russia: Tsar Michael of Russia has declared smoking a deadly sin.
- 1644: Snuff introduced in China
- 1660: England: Charles II introduces Snuff in England
- 1675: Snuff arrives in Germany (probably with the huguenots)
- 1675: Monopoly on all tobacco and Snuff given to an Italian called Bignami by Bavarian elector
- 1690: Bull against use of Snuff in St. Peter’s Basilica
- End of 16th Century: Snuff reaches China and the snuff bottle is invented
It was during the 17th century that snuff taking became more popular in Europe although this practice had a number of strong opponents often imposing severe penalties for snuff takers. Originally snuff shops were indicated by a wooden carved Scots Highlander in full kilt – similar to the Cigar Store Indian signs of North America
Snuff became increasingly popular, particularly amongst the aristocracy after Charles II introduced it in 1660 after returning from exile in Paris, where he had picked up the habit common in the French Court.
Snuff tobacco manufacturing was seen as early as 1670 in Paris largely due to Louis XIII of France who was said to enjoy a pinch of snuff or two. He did, however, forbid the use of snuff except when prescribed by physicians as a remedy against the common cold and for relief from catarrh. Manufacturing had also spread to the of Morlaix and Dieppe by 1680.
In Russia, however, things were not quite so liberal! In the middle of the 17th century Tsar Michael I of Russia ordered that snuff takers should have their noses cut off, whilst smokers should have their lips slit, be whipped for the first offence and executed for the second. Around the same time Pope Urban XIII ordered that anyone found guilty of taking snuff in church should be excommunicated. This makes the smoking ban coming in July look rather tame in comparison!!!
After having been banned, as in numerous other European countries, tobacco was re-introduced in China around 1644 under the Qing dynasty
Towards the end of the 16th century snuff arrived in China, introduced by Portugese tradesmen and Jésuit missionaries. It was here that the snuff bottle was invented due to the increased humidity and moist climate that rendered the snuff box impractical. Snuff bottles were originally used for storing herbs in Chinese medicine, but their use for storing snuff soon became apparent.
The Chinese believed that snuff possessed medicinal qualities and that its use helped to dispel colds, cure migraine, sinus and tooth pain, relieve throat trouble, cause sweats and counter asthma and constipation.
Snuff in the 18th Century
- 1702: George Rooke and Admiral Hobson capture two Spanish ships laden with Snuff on board
- 1720: Fribourg & Treyer Snuff shop opens in London
- 1724: Pope Benedict XIII repeals papal bulls against clerical smoking.
- 1730: First American tobacco factories begun in Virginia – small snuff mills
- 1733: First German Snuff Factory, Gebrüder Bernard, established in Offenbach on the Main
- 1741: Frederick II bans import of Snuffboxes to foster domestic production
- 1761: Physician John Hill publishes “Cautions against the Immoderate Use of Snuff
- 1791: London physician John Hill reports cases in which use of snuff caused nasal cancers
- 1794 First tax on tobacco implemented in the US.
It was during the 18th century when snuff taking rose in popularity and came into widespread use throughout the world and throughout the social classes. The sound of sneezing was common in many a European snuff parlor and snuff boxes became the latest fashion accessory. This century also saw the first warnings about the use of tobacco including a warning from the English doctor John Hill who highlighted the risk that overusing snuff tobacco could lead to nasal cancers.
During the 18th century snuff was sold in private shops but also from door to door by official grinders who would grind your favorite tobacco into snuff ready to be sniffed. This art was soon to die out with the introduction of snuffboxes. Snuffboxes in the 18th century were highly decorated, often made of precious metals and emblazened with jewels. This latest fashion accessory was often changed every day to match the costumes of their owners and would be exchanged as gifts offered as diplomatic or military presents.
Snuff became popularized in the UK largely due to a battle that took place near to Vigo in Spain in 1702. A French squadron and a fleet of Spanish galleons were harbored at Vigo and a detachment of fifteen English and ten Dutch men-of-war were ordered to enter and attempt the destruction of the enemy’s fleet. Vice-Admiral Hopson in the Torbay led the attack but when he got close to the Spanish fleet the weather became calm and left the Torbay in a dangerous position. His rigging was set on fire by a French fire ship and would have been consumed with fire, but the fire ship that had been hastily prepared, was actually a merchant ship full with snuff, which extinguished a lot of the fire!!! Hobson received a knighthood for his part in this battle and the bounty of the Spanish galleons included a vast amount of snuff. This was sold in London, where it was referred to as Spanish, which soon became abbreviated to and gives its name to the best known stuff to this day.
Governments also saw an advantage with the increased popularity of snuff and in the US in 1794, the first federal tax on tobacco was issued, of 8 cents, on Snuff alone. This was equivalent to about 60% of the snuff’s selling price
The 18th century also saw a number of high profile characters taking to snuff. George III’s wife was known as “Snuffy Charlotte”, Frederick the Great of Prussia was a big fan, Pope, Benedict XIII took up the habit and the biggest snuffer of them all was in fact Napolean who was said to use up to 7 pounds of snuff a month.
Snuff in the 19th Century
- 1822: Jacob Frederik Ljunglof begins manufacturing snus.
During the 19th century snuff was still popular amongst many parts of society in Europe, although Victorian England became less tolerant of the habit that was started to be frowned upon in some quarters. Snuff did, however, remain popular amongst professions where it wasn’t possible to smoke or to be seen to smoke such as Doctors, lawyers, judges, the clergy and of course miners.
During the nineteenth century, snuff was used so widely in the Chinese population that literally millions of snuff bottles existed.
Snuff in the 20th Century
- 1902: Today’s largest German Snuff factory, Poschl, established in Landshut
The 20th century saw the end of widespread use of snuff. It can be said that the rise in fame of the common cigarette is largely responsible for the death of the snuff taking habit. Snuff did still remain popular in certain communities such as Ireland, Western Scotland, Iceland and Southern Germany.
After 1949, the communist revolution in China outlawed snuff as a decadent habit of the Qing dynasty.
Snuff in the 21st Century
- July 2007 – Smoking Ban in the UK
With smoking being outlawed from public places in more and more countries around the world, the 21st century could see the return of this out of flavour habit.
The health affects of snuff are seen to be significantly less than smoking cigarettes and more and more people are turning to snuff to get their nicotine fixes.