Artist: Nancy Hwang 1 Liter (1000 ml) Coca-Cola bottle from Korea Green glass, Hobbleskirt (bottle shape) c. 1981 or earlier Red on White ACL (Applied Color Label): English logo side: 1000 ml s [s, encircled]; Coca-Cola [English logo]; registered trademark [in Korean] Korean logo side: 1 liter [in Korean]; Coca-Cola [Korean logo]; registered trademark [in Korean] Raised glass marking on Korean logo side: D2.10 81 Very good condition, slight crate wear near protruding bottom- and mid-sections; plain metal (no markings) twist-on cap, missing 2 sections of 8-part perforated safety-seal/ tear-off band 13 1/4” height x 3 3/8” diameter (33.7 cm x 8.7 cm) 2 lb. 1 1/2 oz. This bottle (pictured on the far right; others are for scale) is a gift from an artist I met last November in Seoul, Korea. It was my first visit to my birthplace since immigrating to the US 25 years earlier. My resulting wide-eyed sensibilities made me pick up a 355 ml Coke bottle (pictured in the center) at a restaurant in Busan (Korea’s second largest city) during the 2005 APEC (Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit. (We happened to be staying at the Westin with George W. Bush). I remarked on the bottle’s shape and size as being different from what I was accustomed to seeing in the States. That’s when Taeheon (pictured on left) announced that he had a Coke bottle at home that he wanted to give me. He had found a pair of 1 liter bottles right around 1980 (the date he recalled) and took them home. Now, Taeheon has one of the bottles and I have the other. I’m guessing that part of the raised glass inscription on this bottle could refer to the date of its production. Never having sold anything on eBay, I suggested to Taeheon that this item would find a perfect home on eBay. He told me to sell it on eBay and let him know afterwards if we should sell his too. After some research, I found a nice international community of Coke bottle collectors online and a huge variety of Coke bottles, but I haven’t found anyone yet who has this particular Coke bottle. Coca-Cola has been bottled in South Korea since 1951. The Korean War started in 1950. As if we haven’t lived through enough senseless wars, the Cola Wars peaked in the 1980s. (Remember the Michael Jackson Pepsi ads?) I’m fascinated by objects in this world, witnessed to multiple histories—personal and universal—that imbue them with meaning, value. At the same time, I struggle to own less, hoping to cherish the stories over the objects. Putting this bottle on eBay and sharing the results with Taeheon completes my part of this bottle’s story and maybe even enriches its provenance slightly. Thanks for reading and for considering adding this bottle to your collection. In addition to bids, I welcome any comments or insights you might send my way.