Si Mu Wu Ding (Cooking Vessel)
4 min readSi Mu Wu Ding (Cooking Vessel) is a valuable bronzeware used by the royal family in the late Shang Dynasty. It is said that this craftwork was cast by Wuding (King of the Shang Dynasty) for his wife (it is also said that it was cast for Wuding’s mother). Its inner wall is cast with “Si Mu Wu”, hence it is named after. It shapes majestically. Two standing ears are higher than the body, and rectangular abdomen is very vigorous. Four feet are hollow, while animal mask pattern and are cloud and thunder pattern are two kinds of decorative patterns outside the upper foot and both standing ears. Si Mu Wu Ding (Cooking Vessel) is the largest and heaviest bronzeware as found in China at present. Its shape, decoration and technology reach a high level, which is the masterpiece in the peak period of the Shang Dynasty bronzeware culture.
Outer surface of standing ear is cast with two tigers representative of theocracy and King’s power. Tiger is deliberately exaggerated, and tiger ear is unusually large. Tiger mouth is opposite each other. In the mouth, there is the pattern of human head opening terrififi ed eyes.
Ding
Ding was originally tableware, which was fired with the clay, and later it evolved into ritual object as a symbol of state power, which was cast with the bronze. It is mostly threelegged round shape, as well as four-legged square shape. In ancient China, ding was representative of nobility. It is recorded that in the Zhou Dynasty, the emperor could use nine dings , marquises could use seven dings, senior offifi cials above the level of scholar could use five dings , the mid/ low-level officials could use three dings , the general nobles could use a ding ; and ordinary civilians couldn’t use ding , otherwise they would face up to fatal disaster. After the Spring and Autumn Period, with the decline of royal family of the Zhou Dynasty, marquises greatly increased their power. Usage system of ding also collapsed.
Legend of nine dings
According to the legend, after the success of Dayu combating the flood, the ancient China was divided into nine prefectures, and a bronze ding was cast in every prefecture as a souvenir. From then on, nine dings became the symbol of national power, and monarchs of ancient dynasties did all best to possess them. After the Shang Dynasty replaced the Xia Dynasty, nine dings moved to the capital of the Shang Dynasty. After King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty annihilated the Shang Dynasty, he sent troops of 810,000 soldiers to transport nine dings to the capital of the Zhou Dynasty (Haojing, which was located in today’s southwest Shaanxi Xi’an). During The Spring and Autumn Period, King Zhuang of Chu Kingdom wanted to dominate China, and asked about the whereabouts of nine dings with ulterior motive. In the Warring States Period, after King Huiwen of the Qin Kingdom failed to lead soldiers to grab nine dings, King of Qi Kingdom seized nine dings with military force. Unexpectedly, nine dings actually flied into Sishui (in today’s Si River, Shandong) and disappeared. After the First Qin Emperor unififi ed China, he immediately sent people to salvage nine dings in Sishui. But when nine dings came out, the cable was snapped by the Dragon King and nine dings fell into the river again. After that, people never could fifi nd trace of nine dings. Although nine dings disappeared, the phrase of “Jiu Ding” maintains for a long time. For example, the Chinese idiom “Yi Yan Jiu Ding” adopts “Jiu Ding” to describe the heavy weight of promise.
Chinese ancient bronze art
The so-called “bronzeware” mainly refers to vessels cast with copper, tin and lead alloy in the Shang Dynasty, the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, including tools, weapons, cooking vessels, food vessels, wine vessels, water vessels, musical instruments, chariot ornaments, bronze mirrors, belt hooks and scales, etc. They not only have the practical value in life, but also can be displayed for art appreciation, with aesthetic value. In different development periods, the bronzeware manufacturing formed different styles. “Bronze art” refers to the style features of bronzeware casting technology, modeling and decorative patterns. Since bronze ware became popular in the Shang Dynasty, shape, decorative patterns and casting technology continuously developed in combination of painting, sculpture, arts and crafts and other elements, which laid the foundation of the plastic arts of ancient China.
