Chinese potty sold as ‘fruit basket’ on Amazon

An enamel Chinese vessel has gone on sale via Amazon in the US and is being marketed by the seller as a fruit basket despite the fact that similar containers are widely used by Chinese households as a potty or spittoon.

Advertised as a “1960s Chinese traditional fruit basket” on Amazon, the seller claims the “antique” could be used as a “kitchen and dining table decoration” to store fresh produce and ice, or serve as a wine bucket.

Chinese web users pointed out that the pot was not made for storing fruits but was instead used as a potty or spittoon in China.

“OMG! Almost every Chinese person of 35 years old and up knows this is a typical portable potty, usually for children. While you may say you want to use it however you like, it’s still better to know the original purpose,” one browser commented on the product page.

Being sold at US$61.96, the price tag brought to the attention of Chinese consumers as it is almost 15 times of its regular price in China, which is sold for the equivalent of US$4.

The product has been removed on Amazon, but the scandal went viral in the Chinese community. Weibo users jokingly created mockery images of alternative uses of the pot.