Escape artist: ancient Chinese cup features ‘swimming’ crab evolved from ‘dancing fairy cup’

Four hundred years before modern interactive design became a trend, a remarkable ceramic crab was already captivating audiences in ancient China. Placed inside a porcelain cup, this ingenious creature would float and dance to life the moment wine was poured, transforming a simple drink into a mesmerising and joyful spectacle. Between 2018 and 2022, archaeologists unearthed the cup in the ruins of Zhouqiao Bridge along the Bianhe River in Kaifeng city, located in today’s central Chinese Henan...

By Fran Lu