large-- (16.5 cm x 12.7 cm) medicinal wine (Wing Lee Wai company),
large-- (15.2 cm x 12.6 cm) Ng Ka Py distilled spirits (Wing Lee Wai company),
large-- (16.5 cm x 12.7 cm) Mui Kwe Lu distilled spirits (Wing Lee Wai Company),
large-- (15.2 cm x 12.6 cm) Glass Ng Ka Py distilled spirits (Wing Fung Hong Company),
medium-- (11.5 cm x 9.5 cm) liquor (Wing Fung Hong company),
small-- (9.1 cm x 7.0 cm) medicinal wine (Wing Lee Wai company),
small-- (9.5 cm x 7.8 cm) liquor (Kie Fung Yuk company),
small-- (9.0 cm x 7.5 cm) Ng Ka Py distilled spirits 90 proof (Wing Lee Wai company).
The large medicinal wine bottle, first on the left in the above picture, showing the front label-- pair of crane design Tientsin & Hong Kong, "ALL KINDS OF BEST LIQUORS" , followed by the identification label on the same bottle -- "WAI SANG MEDICINAL WINE" with instructions to be taken with meals daily.
The large Ng Ka Py distilled spirits bottle, front label -- pair of crane design Hong Kong-- the small label under the main label reads "Net Contents 3/4 quart, Alcoholic Contents 96 proof" followed by the Chinese label side of the same bottle.
The identification label on the large Ng Ka Py bottle -- "CHINESE DISTILLED SPIRITS BLENDED BY WING LEE WAI, AT KA WO DISTILLERY HONG KONG. Net Contents 3/4 quart, Alcoholic Contents 96 proof. Imported by MAY CHOW CO. San Francisco, Cal." This illustration shows clearly the famous embossing on many of these bottles from the 20th century -- "FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR RE-USE OF THIS BOTTLE".
The large MUI KWE LU bottle-- WING LEE WAI, TIENTSIN & HONGKONG. The small label indicates 4/5 quart 90 proof imported by WAH SHANG CO., San Francisco, Cal.
The smaller bottles have similar lables and partial labels depending on the company.
From the labels 3 different products marketed in these pottery bottles can be identified. One is a medicinal wine and the other two are distilled liquors 90 - 96 proof. There may be others.
On some bottles the "FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS" embossing also includes a bottle size.
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Three liquor bottles from the 19th century or early 20th century. The glazes on these bottles are fancy and they do not bear the "FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS" embossing.
This bottle does not have the "FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS" embossing and has been tole painted.
Several liqour bottles without labels, large and small. The small bottle on the front left is the only small one without the FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS embossing in ths group.
This is an unusual bottle, or uncommon at least. Whereas the others are pottery this bottle is made of heavy black glass. Otherwise it is similar to the large NG KA PY bottle although that is spelled NG KA PAY on this bottle. It also has the FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS embossing. It is a product of Wing Fung Hong company, Hong Kong and was imported by Popper Morson Corp. of New York-- 4/5 quart 96 proof.
Three large NG Ka PY bottles-- The first two are Wing Lee Wai products in ceramic bottles. The first one lacks the "FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS" embossing and is the only large labelled bottle I have seen without this embossing. The third bottle is the heavy black glass bottle shown in the previous photo. The first bottle was imported by Capital Importers, Los Angeles, California and contains a 90 proof version whereas the second bottle (previously described) contains a 96 proof liquor.
MUI KWE LU distilled spirits bottle (23 cm x 6.0 cm) product of Wing Lee Wai company, Hong Kong. 5/8 pint 96 proof. This light green bottle bears the "FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS" embossing. The red seal at the top is a US Internal Revenue seal identifying the importer as Gum Loon Company, San Francisco California. The second illustration shows the identification label, the FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS embossing and WING LEE WAI HONG KONG embossing at the bottom.
The above MUI KWE LU bottle shown with another glass liquor bottle. This one is taller than the MUI KWE LU and made of a darker green glass but has no labels. There is no indication of what liquor it contained but it does have the "FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS" embossing. This bottle contained 3/4 pint whereas the labelled bottle contained 5/8 pint. Both bottles have characters embossed on the bottoms.
Chinese beers (approx. 23.0 cm x 6.6 cm). The centre pair are brown Wing Lee Wai company product. Many Chinese beers have a ring neck. These bottles bear various embossed Chinese characters and designs.
Three "stone beer" bottles. These are said to have contained rice wine or beer and came from Chinatown in Fresno California. A similar bottle is shown in the Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum online illustrations as coming from a Chinese railroad workers' camp. Recently acquired (March 2008), I have not attempted to have the characters translated yet.
This tall bottle (31 cm x 7.8 cm) contained an unknown liquor, reported to be a rice wine by Chinese visitors to the local museum where it was on display for many years. They assured me that it was a Chinese bottle, not Japanese. It was found in an old abandoned collapsed log cabin in a Chinese mining village near Barkerville, BC.
Liquor bottle, liquor warmer/server with liquor cups. The tiny cups are Four Seasons pattern.
Liquor warmer/server, sweet pea pattern.
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