Double cup with mythical beasts

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The origin of this vessel, often called a “champion vase” in Western scholarship, remains unclear. It is possible that the term is a loose translation of the phrase yingxiong bei, or hero’s cup, a reference to the bird (ying) and bear (xiong) depicted on the front. The dragon-headed scroll pattern that covers the surface is based on imagery found during the Shang (ca. 1600–1046 B.C.) and Zhou (1054–256 B.C.) dynasties. It was most likely adapted from woodblock-print illustrations of antiquities.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art