Page 96 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

The vessel is cast to the interior with two characters reading Yiran 乙冉 legs were cylindrical and full-bodied, as can be seen on the present
relating to the powerful clan for which the vessel was produced. vessel; see C.Deydier, Chinese Bronzes from the Meyingtang
Collection, vol.1, Paris, 2011, p.39.
Notable for its elegant proportions and the crisp definition of the
‘diamond and boss’ design and stylised kui dragons combination, this Ding vessels have been excavated in large numbers from Shang and
remarkable tripod vessel testifies to the artistic dexterity and technical Zhou dynasty burials of the highest-ranking members of society. The
advancements achieved in bronze casting during the 11th century BC. tomb of Fu Hao, consort of King Wu Ding of the late Shang dynasty,
for example, contained over twenty-six ding vessels. Burials dating to
Ding vessels are among the most significant products of the Bronze the early Western Zhou period include the site of Yu Bo in Boji, Shaanxi
Age in China. They were used in ritual ceremonies to present food Province, unearthed in the 1980’s; see ‘Corpus of Chinese Bronzes’
offerings to the ancestors and were associated with royal power, Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji, Beijing, 1996-1998, vol.11, nos.163-164.
authority and legitimacy to the throne. According to the ‘Book
of Rites’, Zhouli, compiled during the 12th century BC, and the The distinctive ‘diamond and boss’ decoration, probably an innovation
‘Commentary of Zuo’ Zuozhuan, dating to the late 4th century BC, of the Anyang foundries of the Shang dynasty, enjoyed popularity with
the possession of a bronze ding was considered a concrete sign of of pre-dynastic Zhou casters and continued in fashion during the early
heaven-bestowed legitimacy and continued heavenly protection and phases of the Zhou period. This design has been noted mainly on
favour. According to legend, King Yu, founder of the Xia dynasty, had round-bodied vessels dating from the late Shang and early Western
nine large bronze ding vessels cast, one for each of the nine provinces Zhou period excavated in Shaanxi Province, as demonstrated by
in the kingdom; see Wu Hung, Monumentality in Early Chinese Art, several excavated examples illustrated by R.Bagley, Shang Ritual
Stanford, 1995, pp.4-11. Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington DC, 1987,
pp.504-507, no.98, figs.98.3-5 and pp.510-14, nos.100 and 101,
The present form of ding is an exceptionally elegant version of the figs.100.1-3 and 101.1-2.
highest-quality food vessels, which were formerly made of pottery
beginning in the early Neolithic period. Bronze was far scarcer and Compare with two nearly identical bronze ding vessels, late Shang/
required significantly more labour than ordinary ceramic production. early Western Zhou dynasty, one in the Guimet Museum, Paris,
In addition, the more elaborate decoration employed on bronze illustrated by R.Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler
vessels demonstrated their exalted function. Collections, Washington DC, 1987, p.96, fig.106, and the other in
the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, illustrated by
The earliest datable ding made of bronze appear to have been B.Kalgren,’New Studies on Chinese Bronzes’, Bulletin of the Museum
produced towards the end of the Xia dynasty (c.2070-1600 BC). of Far Eastern Antiquities, no.9, 1937, pl.32, fig.132.
At this time, their shape consisted of a flat-bottomed bowl with
thin walls, topped by two vertical handles and supported by three Compare with a related bronze ritual vessel ding, late Shang/early
triangular hollow legs. By the Shang dynasty, ding vessels were Zhou dynasty, of similar shape and decorated with similar bands of
still thinly cast and had a deep rounded body. Towards the end of stylised kui dragons, which was sold at Christie’s New York, 21 March
the 11th century BC, the body of the ding became rounder and its 2014, lot 2036.

鼎侈口，折沿，口沿上有雙立耳。深腹圓底，腹下三柱足。口沿下飾 此例獨特之處在於其斜方格乳釘紋飾，即腹部眾多且連續排布的外
變形夔紋一周，以雷紋為地。腹部飾斜方格乳釘紋，乳釘低平。器內 斜方格界、內乳釘紋、並以雷紋襯底的幾何花紋。此類紋飾最早見
鑄「乙冉」二字銘文；乙應為日名，冉則為族徽文字，表明器主所在 於安陽時期，並逐步流行至西周早期，影響擴大到陝西等地區，
的族氏。 多用於鼎、簋等深腹器形之上。參考多件出土示例，見R.Bagley著，
《Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections》，華盛
鼎不但是青銅禮器中的主要食器，在祭祀儀式上用於烹煮或盛載食 頓，1987年，頁504-507，編號98，圖版98.3-5；以及頁510-514，
物；更是古代中國傳統中最為重要的器物，與王權的至高無上息息 編號100及101，圖版100.1-3及101.1-2。
相關。傳夏禹有德，貢金九牧，而鑄九鼎。《左傳》有云，「桀有
昏德，鼎遷於商，載祀六百。商紂暴虐，鼎遷於週」。九鼎的遷徙 參考兩例極為相似的商晚期至西周早期青銅鼎，分別藏於巴黎吉美
指明了王朝的更迭，而鑄造或擁有九鼎則被視為天命所歸的象徵。 國立亞洲藝術博物館，見R.Bagley著，《Shang Ritual Bronzes in the
夏商周三代只有統治階層才能擁有和使用青銅，西周的列鼎制度更 Arthur M. Sackler Collections》，華盛頓，1987年，96頁，圖版106；
是嚴格規定了使用者身份等級與之相對應的用鼎數量。詳見巫鴻 以及斯德哥爾摩東亞博物館，見B.Kalgren著，〈New Studies on
著，《Monumentality in Early Chinese Art and Architecture》，斯坦 Chinese Bronzes〉，收錄於《Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern
福，1995年，頁4-11。 Antiquities》，第九期，1937年，圖版32，編號132。

新石器時代，陶鼎非常盛行，是最高級別的煮食用具，製作工藝也較 一件商晚期至西周早期青銅鼎，形制與本例相似，口沿下同樣飾夔紋一
一般陶器更為複雜。現存最早的青銅鼎見於二里頭文化；其器壁較 周，售於紐約佳士得，2014年3月21日，拍品編號2036，可資比對。
薄、鼎腹深圓、錐足中空的外形特徵延續至商代。至商晚期，鼎腹變
淺，柱足逐漸取代錐足，形如本例的造型已成主流。見戴克誠著，
《梅茵堂藏中國銅器》，卷一，巴黎，2011年，頁39。

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