Aquarius Sparkling Water Bottle (Rare)

This is an incredibly rare glass sparkling water bottle from Shanghai, China. It dates to sometime around the 1940s. Advertisements for the Aquarius brand featuring a glass bowling pin style bottle can be found in Chinese newspapers going as far back as the 1930s. I was able to find a detailed, full color advertisement featuring this exact same bottle design with the same embossed lettering dating to 1946. I was able to find this information thanks to two online articles documenting the mysterious history of the Aquarius brand in China.

https://shanghailander.net/2020/05/aquarius-water-then-and-now/

And this article from The Little Museum of Foreign Brand Advertising.

https://www.mofba.org/2023/08/27/challenges-of-heritage-marketing-the-history-of-the-real-shanghai-aquarius-water-soft-drink-company/

The bottle shown the second article is on display in the collection of the Museum of Foreign Brand Advertising located in Shanghai, China. In fact, that one on display is the only other Aquarius water bottle I know of to exist. Obviously, there must be more out there. I’m sure there are a few bottle collectors with this rare find in their collection. I just wasn’t able to find them. I was also unable to find any history of an Aquarius bottle having ever come up for public auction whether it be online or otherwise. It appears at the very least to be an extremely rare bottle.

I acquired this bottle from an estate sale or farmers auction in either Pennsylvania or Delaware. It’s been sitting in the back of my shop for a number a years along side some old ballast bottles (torpedo bottles) that I’d been meaning to clean up and list. How on earth a rare dug up bottle from China wound up around my neck of the woods is anybody’s guess. You find the strangest things out here sometimes.

As you can see from the photos, it most certainly appears to be a “dug” bottle. It has plenty of the signs including deep scratches and some chips around the rim but as far as dug-up bottles go, I’d say the condition is pretty darn good. While not one of the “holy grail” bowling pin bottles from Coke or Pepsi that go for thousands, it’s still an awesome piece of advertising history. I’m sure it will find a good home.

The bottle measures 9.25” tall and weighs 1 pound. I have plenty more pictures available upon request.

Feel free to contact BleakHouse anytime if you need additional pictures or have any questions.


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