A Visual History from the Bottom of the Counter: A Glimpse into the Glamour of Hong Kong Through Old Medicinal Wine Bottle Labels - Chun Heung Trading Company
A Visual History from the Bottom of the Cabinet: A Glimpse into the Splendor of Hong Kong Over Sixty Years Through Old Medicinal Wine Bottle Labels
Introduction: When tidying up an old home, moving, or remembering the belongings of your ancestors, have you ever found a bottle of old medicinal liquor, forgotten by time and bearing a tiger image, deep at the bottom of a cabinet? Your immediate reaction might be confusion and bewilderment. However, in our eyes, the true value of this bottle is not the illegal liquid inside, but the label that, despite its weathering, still carries the story of Hong Kong.
This is more than just a piece of paper; it's a mirror reflecting Hong Kong's social culture, graphic design, and folk beliefs in the 1960s and 70s. Today, [Chun Heung Trading Company] invites you to join us as "visual archaeologists," brushing away the dust and carefully reading the historical echoes within the bottle.
A label, a miniature model of an era
Back then, the labels on medicinal wines served as a stage for brand display to the fullest extent possible. In an era before digital printing, every element embodied craftsmanship and the imprint of the times.
The Power of Fonts: Brushstrokes of Authority and Trust
A close look at the text on the label reveals the extensive use of traditional calligraphic fonts , such as the powerful "Clerical Script" or the upright and steady "Regular Script." In that era, calligraphy was not only an art form but also a symbol of authority, authenticity, and credibility . The right-to-left arrangement further reflects the inheritance of traditional reading habits. These strokes silently conveyed to consumers at the time the message, "Trust me, you won't go wrong."
The Roar of the Tiger: Folk Aesthetics and Spiritual Sustainability
The tigers on the labels are masterpieces of folk art. They are often not realistic depictions, but rather mythical guardians. The tigers in the artists' paintings have exaggerated muscle lines, piercing eyes, and roaring mouths, full of dynamism and power. This was not only for a visually striking effect, but also reflected the collective spiritual aspirations of the urban class at the time for physical fitness and warding off evil . From the delicate line drawings of the 1960s to the bold color blocks of the 1980s, the evolution of tiger painting style also subtly records the changes in Hong Kong's printing technology and aesthetics.
The Code of Color: The Glorious Years of Gold and Red
The label's primary color scheme is inseparable from the dynamic combination of red, gold, and black . Red represents auspiciousness and vitality, gold symbolizes nobility and wealth, and black provides a stable foundation. This color scheme is not only visually striking but also deeply rooted in Chinese culture, symbolizing the aspiration for a better life. This is precisely the color code of Hong Kong's golden age "Under Lion Rock," a time of economic take-off and the hard work of its citizens.
More than just a bottle of wine, it's an industrial imprint of "Made in Hong Kong".
Please shift your gaze from the label to the bottle itself. These sturdy square or round glass bottles are a testament to Hong Kong's local industry. Their molding lines, manufacturer markings on the bottom, and slightly bubbly glass texture all tell a story of the booming development of light industry.
From design and drawing, film output, ink printing, to glass blowing and bottling, the creation of a bottle of old medicinal liquor connects an entire industrial chain rooted in Hong Kong. It is truly "Made in Hong Kong".
From medicinal use to exhibits: The modern mission of old wine bottles
Today, the use of tiger bone in medicine is banned globally, representing a conservation bottom line that we must all uphold. The historical mission of these traditional medicinal wines has ended, but their cultural mission is just beginning.
The core purpose of the recycling program initiated by [Chun Heung Trading Company] is to rescue and preserve these "historical carriers" that are about to be abandoned. We focus on the craftsmanship of the bottles, the design of the labels, and the collective memories of Hong Kong that they represent.
We promise:
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Focus on cultural preservation: We recycle "bottles" rather than "wine" in order to preserve their historical and artistic value.
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Legal and compliant processing: We ensure all processes comply with Hong Kong law, allowing you to dispose of your old belongings with peace of mind.
- Giving New Life: We hope to use these recycled bottles as materials for future research, exhibitions or education on Hong Kong folk culture, so that the next generation can also see this unique visual history.
Your participation is an important part of preserving Hong Kong's memory.
That dusty bottle of old wine in your home might just be the key to unlocking the history of a printing factory, an artist, or a community. Instead of letting it break during relocation or cause legal problems, why not entrust it to us?
Let's not let this part of our local history end in our generation.
Contact us to preserve this chapter of Hong Kong's history.
If you find similar old medicinal liquor bottles in your home and agree with our conservation philosophy, please feel free to contact us. Let's find a more honorable home for these beautiful bottles than the bottom of a cabinet.
Chunxiang Trading Company
