Page 85 - Deydier VOL.2 Meiyintang Collection of Chinese Bronses

164. Ritual bronze food vessel ding
Shang dynasty, Erligang period, circa 16 - 14 centuries bc.
th
th
商代二里岡時期青銅鼎
Height: 18 cm, Diameter: 18 cm

An archaic bronze food vessel ding supported by three Provenance:
stubby, tapering conical legs. The upper part of the vessel’s ▪ Private Collection, Japan.
deep, bowl-shaped body is decorated with a narrow frieze ▪ Galerie Christian Deydier, Paris, France.
of three primitive taotie masks and the vessel’s wide, flat,
protruding rim is set with two upright loop handles. Exhibited:
▪ Trésors de la Chine ancienne, Bronzes Rituels De La
The vessel has a pleasant, light green patina. Collection Meiyintang, Musée des arts asiatiques
Guimet, Paris 13 mars - 10 juin 2013, catalogue no. 15.
Published:
▪ Guimet, Musée des arts asiatiques, Trésors de la
Chine ancienne, Bronzes Rituels De La Collection
Meiyintang, Paris 2013, p. 35, no. 15.
Similar examples:
▪ Two similar bronze vessels ding, excavated from tomb
2, at Baijiazhuang (North - East of Zhengzhou) in 1954,
are illustrated by Deydier Ch., Les Bronzes Archaïques
Chinois - Archaic Chinese Bronzes - I - Xia & Shang,
Paris 1995, p. 41 nos. 3 - 4, and in Henan Chutu Shang
Zhou Qingtongqi, Vol. 1, Beijing 1981, p. 27 no. 20.
▪ A quite similar ding, also excavated at Baijiazhuang in
1955, from tomb C8M3, is published in Henan Chutu
Shang Zhou Qingtongqi, Vol. 1, Beijing 1981, p. 32
no. 25.
▪ Another ding, excavated at Panlongcheng (tomb M2.2)
in 1974, is published by Deydier Ch., Les Bronzes
Archaïques Chinois - Archaic Chinese Bronzes - I - Xia
& Shang, Paris 1995, p. 46, drawing no. 1.

84