Ai's artwork has used traditional Chinese pottery on numerous occasions. One of the most notable examples was in 1995 when he dropped and shattered a valuable Han Dynasty urn on camera. The artist also famously painted a Coca-Cola logo on irreplaceable urns. With these pieces, Ai challenges our perceptions of the worth of our living environment by contrasting ancient and artisanal skills and new mass production.

The vase, which was cast in translucent red glass using an iron mould on Murano, a series of islands in the Venetian Lagoon known for its glassmaking, represents a new turning point in the artist's ongoing thoughts on commercialisation, repetition, and iconography.