Su Jiu Dong Po Munus Vinorum Involucrum by Liandong Zhang and Xueqian Zhang

Su Jiu Dong Po Munus Vinorum Involucrum by Liandong Zhang and Xueqian Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum in Designatio Involucri Competition Category.

AesInvolucrum· 2025

Su Jiu Dong Po Munus Vinorum Involucrum

by Liandong Zhang and Xueqian Zhang

Client: Jiangsu Shuanggou Distillery Co., Ltd

Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum Winner in Involucrum Category

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Colors

The Design

About Su Jiu Dong Po Munus Vinorum Involucrum

Su Jiu Dong Po est ordo quattuor lagenarum spirituosarum, poesi et vita poetae Su Shi inspiratus. Quaeque lagena unum gradum vitae poetae repraesentat, ab iuventute exuberante usque ad senectutem libero animo praeditam. Lagenae ex materia vitrea-crystallina alba factae sunt et formam meiping vasis pruni, lineis fluentibus praeditam, sequuntur, ore angustato et corpore pleno quod figlinam Song dynastiae in mentem revocat. Superficies exterior caelatura in relievo ornata est, et textura a densa ad rariorem transit, ut fluminis cursum significet. Imagines poeticae in experientiam visualem et tactilem vertuntur.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum

Su Jiu Dong Po Munus Vinorum Involucrum victor est Praemii A' Design Award Aeneum, honoris multum aestimati formis egregiis, creandi ingenio, sollertia et acumine insignibus dati. Victores Aenei opera perita et mire creandi sunt, quae experientiam, imaginationem et solertiam auctorum suorum confirmant. Exspectatur Su Jiu Dong Po Munus Vinorum Involucrum rem multum aestimatam, admiratam et carissimam, notabiliter professionalem et novam fore. Haec forma Aeneo victa optimas consuetudines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae amplectitur et in cura minutiarum excellit. Su Jiu Dong Po Munus Vinorum Involucrum necessitates egregie explet, cupiditates tangit, sensus capit et curiositatem allicit.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Taking Su Shi's poems as the connection, combining his life experiences allows users to appreciate the spirit of Dongpo and the literary ambiance while savoring the liquor. The imagery depicted on the bottle resonates closely with the poem, utilizing a blend of ink and modern techniques. This transformation of poetic imagery into visual language creates an immersive experience that distinguishes it from products that merely symbolize references to traditional culture.
Dimensions & Packaging: 300mmX120mmX420mm
Tags: The great river runs east, Su Shi's poetic rhythm, Song dynasty porcelain aesthetics, Inner painted landscapes, Red cliff imagery, Joint cultural creations, Poetry and liquor
Production Technology: The material is a glass-crystalline white substance, and the four bottles share a cohesive design inspired by the streamlined meiping plum vase style. Each bottle features a slightly narrowed mouth and a full belly, evoking the aesthetics of Song dynasty porcelain, characterized by a in a subtle way. The outer surface of the bottles is intricately carved in relief, with the texture transitioning from detailed to sparse, simulating the dynamic flow of a river, from calm to rushing, and providing a distinctive tactile experience.
Design Challenge: By reviewing a large amount of literature, we extracted the classic poems of the historical poet Su Shi and the four stages of his life to establish a correlation. The portrayal of Su Shi's image had been criticized as review of the illustrations and texts to rectify the details of his attire, such as the straw raincoat and clothing style. Additionally, the depth of the embossing on the liquor bottle needed to adhere to food safety standards, prompting the design team to adjust the slope of the wavy pattern to mitigate compliance risks.
Research: Focusing on cultural transformation and craft innovation, this project centers on the poetry of Su Shi and theatrical elements. It has designed a series of mass-produced cultural liquor bottles inspired by Su Shi's works, achieving a harmonious blend of cultural narration, craft innovation, and user experience. After an in-depth study of Su Shi's poems, biographies, and the aesthetic literature of the Song dynasty, the designer distilled key imagery, such as the Red Cliff, the river waves, and the scrolls, and took charge of the image composition and bottle modeling. The four bottles effectively transform the essence of the poems into translucent representations.
Inspiration: Inspired by the artistic interpretation of Su Shi's heroic life in the theatrical production of the same name, this product features four bottles, each representing a distinct stage of Su Shi's life from an exuberant youth to free spirited twilight. Through a harmonious blend of poetry, painting, and craftsmanship, the spirit of Dongpo is condensed both within and outside the bottle. This innovative interpretation merges traditional culture with a contemporary understanding of the spirit of literature and brewing.
Project Duration: 2024.5-2025.1 Nanjing, Jiangsu province
Operation Flow: By reconstructing the spirit of Su Shi through a contemporary art style, the design team merges the narrative of drama with the static beauty of a liquor container, creating a product that offers a “sense of theater that can be both observed and touched,” thereby appealing to cultural consumers. The overall design of the bottle incorporates elements of poetry, ink painting, and relief craftsmanship, allowing customers to experience the dynamic interplay of “liquor activating poetry and painting” through its translucent imagery as they savor the liquor. This approach facilitates a multi-dimensional experience of “ tasting the liquor, enjoying the poetry, appreciating the paintings, and gaining a deeper understanding of the context.”
Team Members: Liandong Zhang
Xueqian Zhang
Ru Li
Jiawei He
Image Credits: Jiangsu Shuanggou Distillery Co., Ltd