I hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to the new year! I just thought I’d post some photos of this interesting (although not very wildlife friendly) 10cm long Hong Kong tin I picked up from a market in Semarang, Central Java, that once held a substance more expensive than gold – pure deer musk. While the product is often used in the perfume and cosmetics trade, this musk would’ve been consumed for medicinal purposes.
The lid displays what appear to be Alpine musk deer frolicking in their Himalayan mountain home together with an image of a musk pod with a product guarantee and a trademark (Golden Million Association).
The front of the tin shows an energetic old man playing with a grandson and flanked by unmistakable symbols of longevity: a penjing pine tree display and the sika deer, prized for the supposed medicinal properties of its antler base. The inscription on the pot reads, ‘Extend your years’ while the text on the rim could be translated as, ‘Wen Huojing Printing Factory, Yuankang Gangxiang’.
The sides contain company and product details in both English and Chinese, while the back of the tin continues the deer theme by promoting the company’s wild mountain ginseng and deer tail product.
But perhaps the most interesting information lies on the underside of the lid which lists the company’s other products: ginseng, sika deer antler base, [saiga] antelope horn, snow fungus, powdered pearl, swallows nest, borneal, monkey bezoar, ox bezoar, rhino horn, and bear bile. The text mentions that the company, trusted at home and abroad for its genuine products, obtains pure mountain musk through staff stationed at the source location. The company’s details are Chiu Kwong Lee Ginseng Firm, Kwong Lee Company Limited, Chao’s Building 8-10 Bonham Strand West, Hong Kong, Tel. 436594.
As phone numbers in Hong Kong changed from six digits in the mid-seventies, and the company was established in 1971, the tin was likely made in the early to mid-seventies. I used Google Earth to virtually walk past the store’s address, and it seems they are still in the ginseng and deer antler base business.
So far I’ve been unable to find images of any other deer musk tins, only modern packages or products that contain musk, such as perfumes and soap, so any information others may have on the tin’s relative rarity and approximate value would be very much appreciated. Thanks all.