The Da Yu ''ding'' () is an ancient Chinese bronze circular ''ding'' vessel from the

Western Zhou The Western Zhou ( zh, c=西周, p=Xīzhōu; 771 BC) was a period of Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Zhou dynasty. It began when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty at the Battle of Muye and ended in 77 ...

dynasty (1046–771 BC). Excavated in Li Village, Jingdang Township,

Qishan County Qishan County () is a county in the west of Guanzhong, Shaanxi province, China, under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Baoji Baoji ( zh, s= , t= , p=Bǎojī; ) is a prefecture-level city in western Shaanxi province, People's ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...

, it is on display in the

National Museum of China The National Museum of China is an art museum, art and history museum located on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The National Museum of China has a total construction area of about 200,000 square meters, a collection of more than ...

. The Da Yu ''ding'', the Da Ke ''ding'' in the

Shanghai Museum The Shanghai Museum is a municipal public museum of ancient Chinese art, situated on the People's Square in the Huangpu District, Shanghai, Huangpu District of Shanghai, China. It is funded by thShanghai Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau Reb ...

, and the Mao Gong ''ding'' in the

National Palace Museum The National Palace Museum, also known as Taipei Palace Museum, is a national museum headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in Beijing in 1925, the museum was re-established in Shilin District, Shilin, Taipei, in 1965, later expanded with a S ...

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

are often mentioned together as a few of the most important pieces of ancient Chinese bronze vessels, and sometimes collectively called "Three Treasures of China" (Chinese: "（青铜器）海内三宝").

Description

The tripod is round, with three legs, a common shape during the Western Zhou dynasty. It is high and weighs . Its aperture is . Its mouth is engraved with

Taotie The ''taotie'' is an ancient Chinese mythological creature that was commonly emblazoned on bronze and other artifacts during the 1st millennium BCE. ''Taotie'' are one of the Four Perils in Chinese classics like the ''Classic of Mountains an ...

patterns and its four legs are engraved with animal face patterns. The king attributed is

King Kang of Zhou King Kang of Zhou (; died 996/78 BC), personal name Ji Zhao, was the third king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exer ...

(1020–996 BC), and the date is attributed to the 23rd Year of the king, the

Western Zhou dynasty The Western Zhou ( zh, c=西周, p=Xīzhōu; 771 BC) was a period of Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Zhou dynasty. It began when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty at the Battle of Muye and ended in 7 ...

(1046–771 BC) Shanghai Museum 1959

Inscription

The tripod's inside features 19 lines collectively containing 291 Chinese characters. Most is the King's Speech. The first speech is a historical overview in which he provides a moral rationale for the fall of the

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Western Zhou d ...

(c. 1600–1046 BC) and the rise of the Western Zhou. Here, the King said that drinking wine in excess has made the Shang dynasty lose the Mandate of Heaven, grace, and the army, while the Kings of Zhou do not drink excessively even ceremonially. The King further commands Yu () to support the King and to work official service throughout days. The second speech is a short charge to Yu to emulate his late grandfather, Nang Gong. The third speech is the appointment of the king's minister with army power and a detailed inventory given by the King. The last section of the inscription is Yu himself recording that he made this tripod for his deceased grandfather Nang Gong in response to the king's kindness. It was the king's 23rd year. The inclusion of 1726 slaves in the listed inventory is an important historical resource for studying slavery.

History

In the

Daoguang era The Daoguang Emperor (16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanzong of Qing, personal name Mianning, was the seventh emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His ...

(1821–1851) of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

(1644–1911), this tripod was unearthed in Li village, Jingdang Township,

Qishan County, Shaanxi Qishan may refer to: Places in China *Qishan County (岐山县), of Baoji, Shaanxi * Qishan, Qimen County (祁山镇), town in Qimen County, Anhui * Qishan, Li County (祁山乡), township in Li County, Gansu * Qishan, Pei County (栖山镇), tow ...

. Song Jinjian (; 1821–1863), a local rich man, acquired it. Next, the governor Zhou Gengsheng () expropriated it. After he died, Song Jinjian recovered the tripod. Before winter 1873, Yuan Baoheng (; 1826–1878), a follower of

Zuo Zongtang Zuo Zongtang (左宗棠, Xiang Chinese: ; Wade-Giles spelling: Tso Tsung-t'ang; November 10, 1812 – September 5, 1885), sometimes referred to as General Tso, was a Chinese statesman and army officer of the late Qing dynasty. Born in Xian ...

bought it for 700 taels of silver. Yuan may have sent the tripod he bought to Zuo. In 1875, Zuo Zongtang presented the tripod he treasured as a gift to

Pan Zuyin Pan Zuyin (1830–1890) was a high-ranking Qing dynasty mandarin and a major art collector. He was president of the Board of Works ( ), president of Board of War ( ), and grand councilor ( ). In 1860, Zuo Zongtang (1812–1885), the Viceroy of ...

(; 1830–1890) in Beijing. Pan Zuyin was a famous collector with rich knowledge in

Chinese characters Chinese characters are logographs used Written Chinese, to write the Chinese languages and others from regions historically influenced by Chinese culture. Of the four independently invented writing systems accepted by scholars, they represe ...

. In 1890, Pan acquired the Da Ke ''ding'', the second largest bronzeware of the Western Zhou dynasty after the Da Yu ''ding''. His younger brother Pan Zunian (; 1870–1925) inherited the family property. In about 1896, the Pan family moved to

Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...

from Beijing with their collection, including the two tripods. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out. Fearing looting or destruction, the Pan family packed the two tripods in a wood box and buried it. In 1951, Pan Dayu (; 1906–2007) donated the two tripods to the Shanghai Museum. There, they would be displayed together until 1959, when the Da Yu ''ding'' was transferred to the

in Beijing. In March 2004, to celebrate Pan Dayu's 100 birthday, the Da Yu ''ding'' was transferred to the Shanghai Museum for a limited time display, the first time the tripods were together in nearly 50 years.

Notes

References

* * *Shanghai Museum, YU DING KE DING. ('Yu' Vessels and 'Ke' Vessels) (Chinese Text). Shanghai, 1959.
Da yu Ding Chinese Rubbing Collection
Harvard University, USA
Robert Eno, Inscriptional Records of the Western Zou, 2012
23-24p, Indiana University SITE, Bloomington, USA * Jeffrey R. Thersen, CHINESE EUPHONICS :PHONETIC PATTERNS, PHONORHETORIC AND LITERARY ARTISTRY IN EARLY CHINESE NARRATIVE TEXTS, Ph. D Dissertation in Department of East Asian Department, University of Chicago, 2015, Dec, Chicago, Illinois, USA * * * *

External links

{{Chinese bronzeware History of Baoji Collection of the National Museum of China Zhou dynasty bronzeware 1849 archaeological discoveries Dings (vessel) Archaeological discoveries in China 10th-century BC works Chinese cultural relics forbidden to be exhibited abroad