Champion Vase

Unknown artist

The term "champion vase," which appears only in Western writings, refers to vessels that have two narrow vertical compartments connected by a carving of a mythical bird. It may be a loose translation of yingxiong bei, or hero's cup, referring to the bird (ying) and the bear (xiong) upon which it stands. Champion vases were popular during the middle and late eighteenth century, and were manufactured in different media, including jade, cloisonné enamel, and rhinoceros horn.