Detail View: National Palace English: Bronze square Ding vessel with Kang Hou inscription

Work ID: 
M01B00049
Title: 
Bronze square Ding vessel with Kang Hou inscription
Creation Date: 
Early Western Zhou Dynasty
Start Year Date: 
B.C.1100
End Year Date: 
B.C.950
Dynasty: 
07 Western Zhou (c. 1100 ~771 B.C.)
Creation Place: 
China
Measurements: 
Height: 27.8 cm; Weight: 5160g
Material: 
Bronze
Form: 
Ding (cooking vessel)
Type: 
Bronzes
Repository: 
The National Palace Museum, Taipei
Description: 
The four corners and the central lines on the four sides of the ding all are decorated with raised vertical ridges. The belly is primarily occupied by simplified animal mask motifs, and the four columnar feet are each decorated with the cicadas motif. Six characters in two columns are inscribed in one of the inner walls of the belly. The inscription is transcribed Kang ho fengzuo bozun. Feng is the name of emperor Wen of Zhou's ninth son, the youngest brother of emperor Wu. When emperor Wu extinguished the forces of Shang, he granted Feng the position to govern the kang region, and named him the marquis of Kang. When Emperor Wu passed away, the crowned prince succeeded him, and became emperor Cheng. When emperor Cheng again conquered Shang forces, he changed the name of the old Shang regions to Wei and designated this region to be under the administration of his uncle the Marquis of Kang, whose title by now had become uncle Weikang.
ImageV ID: 
M01B00049AS006
Rights: 
Lee & Lee Communications