Xiaoyou Cultural Creative Liquor Ka Pahu Hoʻopili no ka ʻŌmole Lama by Wen Liu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā ʻUhi Competition Category.
KalaʻUhi· 2026
Xiaoyou Cultural Creative Liquor Ka Pahu Hoʻopili no ka ʻŌmole Lama
by Wen Liu
Client: Shanxi Dianfan Cultural and Creative Industry Co., Ltd.
A' Design Award Kala Winner in ʻUhi Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #178024The Design
About Xiaoyou Cultural Creative Liquor Ka Pahu Hoʻopili no ka ʻŌmole Lama
ʻO ka Xiaoyou Cultural Creative Liquor he hoʻolālā ʻōmole seramika a me ka pahu hoʻopili no kekahi lama Pākē. Ua loaʻa ke kino o ka ʻōmole mai ka Xiaoyou, he ipu lama keleawe like me ka pueo o ka Moʻokūʻauhau Shang i mālama ʻia ma ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Shanxi. Ua hoʻomāʻalahi ʻia nā kiʻi o ka nahesa, ka ʻēheu, a me ka moʻo Kui i mau laina maʻemaʻe. Ua hana ʻia ke kino me ka seramika ʻeleʻele hinuhinu ʻole o Jingdezhen a ua hoʻonani ʻia me ke gula metala, a hoʻohui ʻia ka pani a me ka pūʻulu ipu inu i ka seramika a me ka metala. Wili ʻia ka pani waho like me ka pueo me ka lima e wehe ai, e hana hou ana i ke ʻano i hoʻohana ʻia ai ka ipu kumu.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Kala
Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Xiaoyou Cultural Creative Liquor Ka Pahu Hoʻopili no ka ʻŌmole Lama i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Xiaoyou Cultural Creative Liquor Ka Pahu Hoʻopili no ka ʻŌmole Lama he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā Xiaoyou Cultural Creative Liquor Ka Pahu Hoʻopili no ka ʻŌmole Lama e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Xiaoyou Cultural Creative Liquor embodies three millennia of civilization, rejuvenated through contemporary design. The bottle draws inspiration from the bronze artifact Xiaoyou housed in the Shanxi Museum, distilling classic motifs such as serpent patterns, wing patterns, and Kui dragon patterns. While preserving the artifact's essence, the design reinterprets its form with elegant and simplified lines, aligning with modern aesthetics. Crafted from Jingdezhen ceramic, the bottle undergoes meticulous artistry and rigorous testing to ensure both secure liquor storage and transport convenience. This integration allows ancient motifs to merge seamlessly into daily life, continuing the warmth of civilization.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 139mm x 137.5mm x 62.5mm
- Tags
- Revitalized Heritage, Ancient "Angry Birds", Tangible History, The Cultural Gift, Collector’s Edition
- Production Technology
- The bottle body is crafted from matte black ceramic, echoing the serene and rustic visual texture of the Xiaoyou vessel. Embellished with metallic gilding, the motifs and details are outlined with a lustrous finish against the subdued ceramic base, enhancing the visual depth and refinement. Components such as the bottle cap and drinking set integrate ceramic with metal materials. The gilding technique not only elevates the recognizability of cultural symbols but also imbues the artifacts with a modern elegance that is both dignified and dynamic. The design pays homage to the historical texture of bronze artifacts through its material essence, while modern craftsmanship ensures practical durability and artistic appeal, achieving an organic fusion of traditional material language and contemporary aesthetics.
- Design Challenge
- On the historical dimension, it is necessary to strike a balance between the solemnity of the Xiaoyou artifact and the daily functionality of cultural and creative products, avoiding the excessive trivialization or commercialization of cultural symbols. On the social dimension, it is essential to address the widespread market skepticism toward baijiu cultural products as "prioritizing form over substance," emphasizing the depth and sincerity of cultural expression. On the technical dimension, it is crucial to faithfully reproduce the sculptural features of the Xiaoyou artifact while overcoming the challenges of mold development and mass production posed by its intricate form, ensuring that the design language is fully realized in large-scale manufacturing.
- Research
- This project constitutes a research endeavor in cultural and creative product design, focusing on the cross-disciplinary integration of cultural heritage with the spirits industry. Centered on the Shang Dynasty bronze Xiaoyou as its cultural medium, the study aims to develop a Fenjiu cultural product that harmonizes profound cultural depth with vibrant market appeal, achieving the dual objectives of revitalizing cultural artifacts and enhancing brand equity. By systematically examining the historical and cultural significance of the Xiaoyou and drawing insights from successful cultural and creative design practices both domestically and internationally, the project undertakes comprehensive development—from cultural interpretation and conceptual design to tangible product realization. Ultimately, using Fenjiu as a cultural conduit, it seeks to transition the Xiaoyou artifact from museum exhibits into everyday life, thereby advancing the dissemination of Chinese culture while simultaneously elevating brand value and expanding market influence.
- Inspiration
- The bronze artifact Xiaoyou from the Shanxi Museum, celebrated as the most adorable artifact, is an exquisite masterpiece of late Shang Dynasty bronze craftsmanship. The vessel features two owls standing back-to-back. In ancient Chinese, "Xiao" was the collective term for owls, while "You" denotes a type of liquor vessel—thus, "Xiaoyou" literally means an "owl-shaped liquor container." Over three millennia ago, this vessel held strong liquor for ritual offerings to the gods; today, it carries our imagination of history. What has changed from its perception as a "war god" to a "mascot" is not the form of the Xiaoyou, but our perspective in interpreting civilization.
- Project Duration
- Time: March 2023 - October 2025
Location: Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province - Operation Flow
- The owl-shaped outer lid is designed to be manually twisted open, with its opening mechanism accurately replicating the original structure of the bronze Xiaoyou artifact's lid. By restoring the usage method of this Shang Dynasty liquor vessel, users are invited to physically engage with the ceremonial context of three millennia ago through the act of opening and closing the lid. This interaction evokes vivid associations with the artifact's function and historical setting. The design extends the concept of "bringing cultural relics to life" from visual symbolism to behavioral experience, integrating cultural dissemination into everyday actions and fostering a profound connection that evolves from visual observation to embodied memory.
- Team Members
- Design Director: Wen Liu
Design Execution: Zongming Qi
Creative Director: Qing Sun
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