Da Ke ding in the Western Zhou Dynasty
What is the Da Ke ding
Da Ke ding in the Western Zhou Dynasty, also known as Keding, Shanfu Keding, is a bronze ware in the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty. It was unearthed in Ren Village, Famen Town, Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province, in the middle of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, and is now collected in the Shanghai Museum.
In the Western Zhou Dynasty, Da Ke ding was 93.1 cm in height, 75.6 cm in diameter, 74.9 cm in belly diameter, 43 cm in belly depth and 201.5 kg in weight. The tripod stands with ears, and the mouth edge is adorned with deformed animal face patterns, with small animal face patterns in the middle and protruding ribs. The entire shape is solemn and dignified. Inscription 290 characters are cast inside the abdomen, with lines spaced between the lines, and the strokes are rounded. The content of the inscription is an important material for studying the land system and official system of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
The Da Ke ding of the Western Zhou Dynasty is a very important bronze ware in the Western Zhou Dynasty. It is also a well-known heavy artifact with historical records. On January 18, 2002, it was listed in the Catalogue of the First Batch of Cultural Relics Prohibited from going abroad for exhibition.
Cultural Relics Characteristics
Da Ke ding was 93.1 cm in height, 75.6 cm in diameter, 74.9 cm in belly diameter, 43 cm in belly depth and 201.5 kg in weight. The mouth of the tripod has large double standing ears, slightly converging the edge of the mouth, wide square lips, and a slightly bulging and drooping abdomen, which is called "converging the mouth and extravagant the abdomen". The landing point of the tripod is slightly wider than the upper end, and the center of gravity is slightly outward.
The neck of Da Ke ding in the Western Zhou Dynasty is decorated with three sets of symmetrical deformation gluttonous patterns, with prominent ridges at the junction, which are all six out; The abdomen is adorned with a large, continuous, curved pattern (i.e. wavy pattern) that surrounds the entire body. The upper part of the tripod is adorned with three sets of prominent gluttonous images. The Ding earrings have relative dragon patterns. There are 2 inscriptions cast on the inner wall of the abdomen, totaling 28 lines and 290 characters. The front section has a 14 line grid with a positive line, and the rear section grid was removed during the molding process.
History of it
Da Ke ding of the Western Zhou Dynasty was unearthed in Ren Village, Famen Town, Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province in the 16th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1890). After being unearthed, it was first bought by Ke Shaomin, a Shandong native, and Pan Zuyin bought it from Ke with heavy money, becoming the owner of Da Ke ding. After Pan Zuyin died, his brother transported the tripod back to his hometown in Suzhou for release.
In the early years of the Republic of China, there were Americans who sought to purchase with a huge sum of money, but were flatly rejected by the descendants of the Pan family and regarded it as a family heirloom. In the mid-1930s, the Kuomintang authorities built a new building in Suzhou. The party and state officials suddenly had a whim to hold an exhibition in the name of commemoration after the completion of the building, inviting the Pan family to participate in the exhibition with a large tripod, in order to occupy the tripod indefinitely. However, this clumsy trick was discovered by Pan and he politely refused to participate in the exhibition.
In 1937, Suzhou fell, and Pan Dayu, the granddaughter in charge of household chores, decisively buried the tripod in the back room with her family. Indeed, the Japanese army kept coming to the Pan family to search for this cauldron, and sometimes they came as many as seven times a day, but finally did not obtain it. After the victory of the Anti Japanese War, Pan Dayu hid the Da Ke ding of the Western Zhou Dynasty in a room, covered it with old furniture and debris, and then nailed down the whole room, neither living nor leaving.
After the founding of New China, Pan Dayu donated this tripod to the country. Since 1952, this tripod has been treasured in the Shanghai Museum.
Appreciation of Cultural Relics
The Da Ke ding in the Western Zhou Dynasty has thick walls and grand shapes. The mouth of the tripod has large double standing ears, with slightly converging edges, wide square lips, and a slightly bulging and drooping abdomen, known as the "converging mouth and extravagant abdomen", which is one of the typical shapes of the Zhou tripod. The landing point of the tripod is slightly wider than the upper end, and the center of gravity is slightly outward, which is an important example of the evolution of the Shang Dynasty pillar foot into the Zhou Dynasty hoof foot. The neck of Da Ke ding is decorated with three sets of symmetrical deformed animal facial patterns, with six short ridges between them; The abdomen is adorned with a large, continuous, curved pattern (i.e. wavy pattern) that surrounds the entire body. The appearance of wavy patterns broke the symmetrical pattern of animal face patterns and broke free from the static decoration of bronze patterns for a long time. It uses two continuous strip patterns to form a continuous repetition, creating a sense of rhythm and giving people a lively and comfortable feeling. Since the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, traditional decorative patterns have completely transformed and entered a new era of pattern transformation, excellently integrating the achievements of patterns and sculpture art at that time. The upper part of the tripod is adorned with three sets of prominent gluttonous images. The Ding earrings have relative dragon patterns.
Inscriptions totaling 290 characters, divided into 28 lines, were cast on the inner wall of the abdomen of Da Ke ding in the Western Zhou Dynasty. The inscription is divided into two parts: the first half praises the achievements of his grandfather, Shifu Bi, in beautiful words, praising his humble qualities, peaceful personality, and beautiful virtue, which can assist the royal family and manage the country. The wise Prince Zhou was very wise and wise, so he was promoted to an important position as a cook, responsible for conveying the orders of the Prince Zhou. In the latter part, the Zhou Emperor reiterated his appointment to the position of Ke and rewarded him with formal attire, land, and slaves. Ke knelt and kowtowed, happily accepting the appointment and reward, and cast a large cauldron to praise the virtues of the Zhou Emperor and worship the spirit of his grandfather and master Bi Fu in heaven.
The inscriptions on the Da Ke ding of the Western Zhou Dynasty are exquisite in both font layout and casting effect. The font size is uniform but flexible. The written test is mellow and powerful, presenting a relaxed and elegant style.
Cultural relic value
Historical value
The inscription of Da Ke ding in the Western Zhou Dynasty is an important document for studying the history of the Western Zhou Dynasty. The year names in the inscriptions have extremely high historical value for historians to accurately determine the historical era of the Western Zhou period.
Artistic value
The magnificent and dignified shape of the Da Ke ding in the Western Zhou Dynasty is a historical witness to the peak of ancient Chinese bronze technology. The format, style, and casting method of the Da Ke ding inscription in the Western Zhou Dynasty also played an important role in the history of Chinese calligraphy. The inscriptions on bronze ware were first carved into models according to the original ink script and then turned over and cast. Due to the exquisite bronze casting technology during the Western Zhou Dynasty, inscriptions generally reflect the brushwork of ink calligraphy to a considerable extent. This inscription is a model of bronze and gold inscriptions in the middle and late periods.
Similar bronze vessels to get
Sculpmart is a professional bronze art and bronze sculptures manufacturer providing Chinese Bronze Handcraft arts which will allow you to have a chance to own a masterpiece of Chinese bronze sculptures. If you like, you may choose the style to customize, send us the image and design, our craftsman will reproduce and cast a perfect bronze ware for you.
Please contact us if you need.
