Bronze rectangular ding

Bronze rectangular ding

Western Zhou (11^th century --771 BC)

Height 20.4 cm

Unearthed from Tomb No. 6, Liutazi Viallage, Jiangji Township, Jiyang Conty, Shandong Province, 1985

By courtesy of Institute of Archaeology of Shandong Province

A pair of grooved U-shaped handles stand on the squarish rim of the straight mouth of this vessel. Eight flanges decorate its sides and corners, and phoenix patterns are found in between against a cloud-thunder ground. The vessel shaped like four elephants with huge fans, wide mouths, short ivories and whorled foreheads. The upward curled trunks covered with cloud and scale patterns serve as feet of the vessel. A character is inscribed on the interior wall.