Blue-and-white Double-spouted Cruet with Fruit Trees Design, Jingdezhen ware, Kangxi Reign Period (AD 1662-1722), Qing dynasty. Height 44.8 cm, Diameter of mouth 11.5 cm, Diameter of base 11.65 cm, Weight: 3,120 g. Donated by Mr. Henk B. Nieuwenhuys. © Shanghai Museum.

This is a porcelain ware for export with unique shape. With two mouths conjoined to the body but separated in the belly part, the bottle can hold two kinds of different liquids. The emergence of such a bottle might be related to a kind of oil and vinegar jar in Italy in the 16th century. This piece is a typical ordered firing work. In the late Ming and early Qing, with the thriving of the porcelain export trade, many articles were processed with supplied samples, especially kitchen utensils. This might be specially fired for the Netherlands market.