During our visit to Vientiane, we saw a piece of art near the country’s version of the Arc de Triomphe called Patuxai or Victory Gate. The elephants and temple are almost completely made of colorful cups and saucers that are arranged to make the various shapes. When seen from the distance, it is hard to tell what the piece is made from, similar to an impressionist painting. As you get up close, the details become readily apparent as the cups and saucers are tied together to create shapes like the curved trunks of the elephants or the tiers of the temple. There are a few features, like the tusks, that aren’t made from cups and saucers, but there are very few. We aren’t sure, but it seems like the temple and elephants are made to actually move, but it wasn’t in motion while we were there.