I was cutting my nails this evening and noticed that these cheap nail clippers I own have the word "CHINA" engraved into them. They're even engraved on the underbelly so you only see the word when you've got the nail-cutter turned inside out (basically turned the way that lets you push down on the spring).

I thought about what a strange notion that was. There is no other branding on the item. There's no company name, or logo, or anything like that. Just "CHINA". It occurred to me that it's kind of a weird idea to let people know which country your item was made in. Especially for something as mundane as nail clippers.

Is there some specific reason for this that evolved? All I could really figure was that it was to let people know that the country makes a good product and so if they make one decent product, perhaps they make other decent products. Do certain countries require that manufacturers include the country of origin on products as kind of a way to "brand" the country as a producer of such tools? ...perhaps to instill confidence in consumers?

Also, is there any evidence of this happening in ancient times? Might somebody have purchased a vase (for example) in Roman times that said what region it came from? I think it's fairly common knowledge that we associate certain products with specific areas of the world - Persian Rugs for example. Did we just come to love Persian rugs or did the Persian area specifically brand rugs thus informing the world that they make them?

In summary: When did this practice start? Is there evidence of it in the ancient world? Do/did certain countries enact laws requiring it of their manufacturing businesses? Is there some well-studied marketing science behind it as to why it continues today?