Twelve Flower Goddesses · Blossom Wine Collection · April Peony Blossom · Shangguan Wan’er 上官婉兒

April Peony Blossom · Shangguan Wan’er

April arrives with the peony in full bloom — graceful, radiant, and impossible to overlook.

Among the remarkable women of Chinese history, Shangguan Wan’er is remembered for far more than beauty. Gifted in literature and deeply learned, she became known for her intelligence, eloquence, and remarkable ability to navigate the complex world of the imperial court.

Her story gives the peony another meaning.

The peony has long been admired for its richness and splendor, but true presence does not come from appearance alone. Like Shangguan Wan’er, its beauty feels most compelling when elegance is joined by knowledge, confidence, and a mind of its own.

In this sculptural Liuli wine vessel, layers of soft pink and lavender petals open around a petite cup, touched with fresh green. Light passes through the translucent Liuli, giving the flower a gentle glow that changes throughout the day.

Pour in a little wine, and another expression appears.

A clear spirit keeps the blossom luminous. A pale golden wine brings warmth into the petals. A rosé adds another layer of softness and romance.

And when the wine is gone, the peony remains — a decorative object with enough presence to live beautifully on a bar cart, console, dining table, bedside, or bookshelf.

Perhaps that is the spirit of Shangguan Wan’er: beauty may catch the eye, but brilliance gives it lasting presence.

A flower before you.
A little wine.
A quiet moment entirely your own.

FOR DESIGNERS & INTERIOR STYLING

With its soft pink, lavender, and fresh green Liuli and sculptural peony form, this piece brings a graceful yet confident presence to residential, hospitality, and curated interior spaces. Its petite scale makes it especially suitable for a bar cart, dining setting, console, bedside table, bookshelf, reading space, hotel interior, hospitality suite, gallery setting, or decorative display.

Natural or ambient light passing through the translucent Liuli reveals subtle shifts of pink, lavender, green, and depth across the layered petals. Its luminous floral palette pairs naturally with wood, stone, glass, and restrained neutral materials, allowing the piece to move gracefully between functional wine vessel and sculptural decorative object.

THE ART OF LIULI

Created through an intricate lost-wax casting process, each piece begins with its own mold. After the wax is removed and the Liuli undergoes high-temperature forming, the outer mold must be broken away before the piece can be carefully refined, ground, and polished.

One mold. One piece.

COLORS WITHIN THE LIULI

The colors are not painted onto the finished surface.

They are formed within the Liuli during the high-temperature process, becoming part of the material itself. As light passes through different colors and depths of Liuli, subtle variations in transparency and tone reveal the sculptural layers of the peony petals.

When wine or a favorite spirit is poured into the petite cup, another layer of color enters the composition. A clear spirit preserves the flower’s luminous delicacy, while a pale golden wine or rosé can bring new warmth, softness, and depth to the pink and lavender petals.

Because of this process, small variations may appear from piece to piece. Subtle natural bubbles and gentle flowing patterns may also appear within the Liuli. These are characteristic of the making process and contribute to the individual character of each piece, rather than being considered defects.

A LITTLE RITUAL OF YOUR OWN

Pour a little wine. Let the light pass through the flower. Sit with a book, listen to music, share a quiet conversation, or simply enjoy a few unhurried minutes of your own.

The vessel may hold a drink, but the moment it creates can hold something more — a pause, a little beauty, and a reminder that ordinary evenings deserve to be enjoyed too.

A blossom for the eyes. A little wine for the soul.