The Chinese character "鼎" (Ding in pinyin, meaning a cauldron with legs) stands for eminence, honor, and grandeur. As a fairly common bronze artifact from the Chinese Bronze Age, Ding was typically used as a sacrificial vessel or ceremonial object in ancient China. It was often considered a symbol of statehood, representing the dignity and power of a state.

The world-renowned Houmuwu Ding, a square bronze cauldron, weighs 832.84 kilograms. It was cast during the reign of King Wuding of the late Shang Dynasty (1300–1046 BC), and is now exhibited in the National Museum of China. The cultural relic offers the world a good example of Chinese civilization, and is invaluable for understanding China's history, culture, technology, and aesthetics.

The Chinese character 后 (hou) in "Houmuwu" means "great" and "respectable," while 母戊 (muwu) means "Mother Wu." The name implies that the bronze cauldron was dedicated to beloved Mother Wu. The naming of this artifact reflects the profound cultural values of Chinese people, including the importance of blood ties, love for one's family and country, as well as a deep contemplation of one's identity, roots, and future hopes.

Bronze vessels manifested a prosperous dynasty

Ancient Chinese believed that "what is important for a country are sacrifice and war." In the Xia (2100–1600 BC), Shang (1600–1100 BC), and Zhou (1100–221 BC) civilizations, sacrifice and wars were of paramount importance to the states.

According to historical documents, during the reign of King Wuding, multiple military campaigns contributed to the increasing prosperity of Shang. King Wuding also placed great importance on developing agriculture, as society became wealthier, handicrafts such as bronze casting, silk weaving, and ceramics production became increasingly commercialized and professionalized. Through a combination of good rule and military actions, the era of King Wuding saw great prosperity.

Even more impressive is the fact that the capital city of the Shang Dynasty, covering an area of 36 million square meters, had no city walls, just like Erlitou, supposedly the capital city of the previous Xia Dynasty. Such a megacity without any defensive fortifications at that time manifested the Shang king's confidence that there would be no warfare in his heartland.

During the Shang Dynasty, protecting the home and defending the nation were realized through sacrificial rituals using bronze vessels and oracle bone inscriptions. The unity of family and country became a core Chinese value. As a result, patriotism became an integral part of Chinese traditional culture, giving rise to the guiding principle of "self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and bringing peace to all under heaven" in Confucian moral philosophy and discourse on politics.

The supreme bronze craftsmanship

The grand Houmuwu Square Cauldron, commissioned by King Wuding's son as a sacrificial vessel dedicated to his mother Wu, is a rare and exceptional artifact because its production process posed a series of technical challenges.

Bronze is an alloy made of copper and tin, or lead or nickel. The discovery of alloys was a major breakthrough in the history of metal casting. Bronze gained wide popularity and was preferred to pure copper or iron because of its low melting point, increased rigidity, and stable chemical properties. These qualities allowed for its extensive application and widespread acceptance.

An analysis of its casting marks shows that the body and four legs of the Houmuwu Square Cauldron were cast as a whole, and the handles were cast separately later using molds and then attached to the body. The whole process of producing the finished artifact required highly skilled craftsmanship.

The casting of the cauldron also required precise calculations and coordination of work. It took over 1,000 kilograms of metal materials, and required the coordination of several large furnaces, as well as a considerable number of skilled craftsmen at each step of the process, who were well-organized with meticulous division of labor and seamless coordination.

Through exhaustive analysis, it has been discovered that the cauldron contains approximately 84.77 percent copper, 11.64 percent tin, and 2.79 percent lead. The proportion is almost the same as the copper-tin ratio recorded in the book Kaogong Ji (meaning Records of Examination of Craftsmanship), which was compiled during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). The similarity highlights the continuity of ancient Chinese bronze civilization.

Discovery and preservation

In 1939, Wu Xizeng, a resident of Wuguan Village in Xibei Township, Anyang County, Henan Province, discovered the Houmuwu (called "Simuwu" at that time) Ding, while working in the farmland of Wu Peiwen.

In July 1946, local officials in Anyang came to Wu Peiwen's home and dug up the cauldron, which they took away along with the broken handle from Wu Xizeng's home. The relic was then transported to Nanjing and sent to Chiang Kai-shek as a gift to celebrate his 60th birthday. Chiang was delighted and ordered the cauldron to be stored at the Preparatory Office of the Central Museum, the predecessor of the Nanjing Museum.

In April 1959, the Nanjing Museum transferred the national treasure to the newly established Museum of Chinese History, the predecessor of the National Museum of China, which took over the job of preservation and exhibition of and research on the artifact.

The Yinxu (Yin Ruins, referring to archeological ruins of the Shang dynasty) set of postage stamps issued in July 2016 features the Houmuwu Ding. This is especially remarkable as it was the third time that this ancient artifact had appeared on a postage stamp.

The author is Weng Huainan, director of the Department of Library and Materials at National Museum of China.

Liu Xian /Editor    Zhang Rong /Translator

Yang Xinhua /Chief Editor    Ren Qiang /Coordinator

Liu Li /Reviewer

Zhang Weiwei /Copyeditor    Tan Yujie /Image Editor

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