18.0 cm (height) × 12.0 cm (mouth diameter) × 5.6 cm (width) × 7.5 cm (base length) × 9.3 cm (base width)
This artifact is a classic example of Emperor Qianlong’s (reigned 1735–1796) antiquity-inspired works. Made of pure jade, it consists of two cylindrical bottles placed side by side. The central axis of the front features a bird standing atop a mythical beast—the bird with outstretched wings and the beast in a crouching posture—cleverly connecting the two bottles. The back is fitted with a handle, the top of which is adorned with a flat-relief carving of a beast’s head, resembling a ruyi (a traditional Chinese ornamental object symbolizing good fortune). The lid features a coiling dragon-tiger, its sinuous body unifying the two covers. The underside of the vessel bears an inscription in seal script: “Made in imitation of ancient antiquities during the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing.”
The exact function of such twin bottles remains undetermined. Bottles adorned with birds and mythical beasts are commonly known as “eagle-bear bottles” (“yingxiong” bottles), a homophonic pun symbolizing “hero” (pronounced “yingxiong” in Chinese). In the early Qianlong period, Xiqing Gujian referred to this vessel type as the “Tang Dynasty Dragon-Phoenix Twin-Tube Bottle.” Meanwhile, Crafts Archives of the Imperial Workshops mentions terms such as “Heroic Wedding Cup” and “Heroic Twin-Tube Cup,” likely referring to the same category of objects.
It is commonly believed that the form of eagle-bear bottles can be traced back to bronze cups unearthed from the Mancheng Han Tombs in Hebei and lacquer cups from the Baoshan Chu Tombs in Hubei. However, the artistic styles of the bottles bear greater resemblances to the jade zhi vessels found in the Beishantou Han Tombs in Chao Lake, Anhui. Most known surviving examples were crafted during the Ming and Qing dynasties using materials such as bronzes, jades, enamels, and rhinoceros horns. Variations in bottle shapes, decorative motifs, and animal imagery are commonly observed. One example from the National Palace Museum collection (jade, 009576) closely resembles this piece, except that it lacks an inscription on the base.