Minneapolis Institute of Art

Champion's Vase (Ying-hsiung)

China

Date

18th-19th century

Medium

Pale gray-green nephrite

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This unusual vessel, comprised of twin cylinders united by a phoenix surmounting a winged lion, is in a traditional shape that can be traced back over two thousand years. The vessel nowadays is commonly called a champion's or hero's vase, a pun on the words ying-hsiung, which the Chinese use to describe the vase. Numerous jade examples of this form survive from the late Sung, Yüan and Ming dynasties (13th-17th century). Reverence for past forms is typically associated with China's educated elite, and this vase demonstrates the strong revival tendencies of the Chinese artisan. Used as a decorative object, this exquisitely detailed champion's vase conveys a sense of history, tradition and cultural continuity that would have appealed to a learned owner. Asia

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