Da Ke Ding 大克鼎 and Da Yu Ding 大盂鼎 (on display at the National Museum of China, Beijing) are two Western Zhou bronze dings that are called “Great Treasures of Culture and Ritual” 重器鴻寶. Together with Mao Gong Ding 毛公鼎 (currently in National Palace Museum, Taipei), they are known as the “Three Treasures of China” 海內三寶.
National Treasure
Da Ke Ding (Food Vessel) 大克鼎
Bronze ware | Western Zhou, King Xiao Reign (c. 10th BC) | Dimensions – H: 93.1cm, D: 75.6cm, Wt: 201.5kg | Shanghai Museum Collection, Excavated from Famen Town, Fufeng County, Shaanxi during Qing Guangxu reign (r. 1875-1908), Donated to Museum by Mdm Pan Dayu in 1952 铜器｜西周孝王（公元前10世紀末）｜高93.1厘米，口径75.6厘米，重201.5公斤｜上海博物馆藏，清光绪中期出土於陝西扶風法門寺任村，1952年潘达于女士捐赠
The Da Ke ding 大克鼎 is an ancient Chinese bronze circular ding vessel from the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). Unearthed in Famen Town, Fufeng County, Shaanxi in 1890, it is currently on display in the new Shanghai Museum (Pudong). It was made by Ke, a court official in-charged of the royal kitchen, to record the past history of his grandfather and the gifts that kings of Western Zhou gave to him as well as his grandfather.
The ding is round with three legs and two ears, a common shape during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). Its mouth was engraved with Taotie 饕餮 patterns and its abdomen was engraved with wave patterns, and its ears were engraved with Chinese dragon patterns.
Although modern scholars use the word “Taotie“, it is actually not known what word the Shang and Zhou dynasties used to call the design on their bronze vessels. The first known usage of Taotie is in the Zuo Zhuan 左传, a narrative history of China between 722 and 468 BC. It is used to refer to one of the four evil creatures 四凶 of the world, a greedy and gluttonous son of the Jinyun clan who lived during the time of the mythical Yellow Emperor (c. 2698–2598 BC). Within the Zuo Zhuan, taotie is used by the writer to imply a “glutton”, which is quite apt for the purpose of the vessel.
The Inscription on the Inner Wall of Da Ke Ding
The ding has 290 Chinese characters in 28 lines inside the tripod. The inscriptions recorded can be divided into two main parts; part one described how the grandfather of Nobleman Ke 克 (c.~9th century BC) was an important civil servant (with military honours) during the reign Western Zhou King Gong 周恭王 (c. 962-900 BC) and he benefited from his grandfather’s greatness and inherited the hereditary honours; two, it recorded how Western Zhou King Xiao 周孝王 (c. 950-886 BC) awarded slaves and land to the him.
Details of The Inscription on the Inner Wall of Da Ke Ding
克曰：穆穆朕文且師華父，悤襄（譲）氒心，寧靜於猷，淑哲氒德。肆克龏（恭）保氒辟龏（恭）王，諫（敕）辪（乂）王家，叀（惠）於萬民。（柔）遠能（邇），肆克口於皇天，瑣於上下，得屯亡敃（泯），易（釐）無疆，永念於氒孫辟天子，天子明（哲），顯孝於申（神），巠（經）念氒聖保且師華父，（龠力）克王服，出內（納）王令，多易寶休。不顯天子，天子其萬年無強，保辥（乂）周邦，□（田允）尹四方。
王才宗周，旦，王各（格）穆廟，即立（位），緟季右（佑）善夫克，入門，立中廷，北向，王乎尹氏冊令善夫克。王若曰：“克，昔余既令女出內朕令，今余唯（緟就）乃令，易女叔巿、參冋（絅）中悤。易女田於野，易女田於渒，易女井家（勹累）田於（?山），以氒臣妾，易女田於康，易女田於匽，易女田於（阝尃）原，易女田於寒山，易女史小臣、霝籥、鼓鐘。易女井徵（勹累）人。易女丼人奔於糧，敬夙夜用事，勿法朕令。”克拜稽首，敢對揚天子不顯魯休，用乍文且師華父寶彝，克其萬年無疆，子子孫孫永寶用。
译文：
克曰：端庄美善的我的文采斐然的祖父师华父，冲和谦让的心胸，淡泊宁静的神思，清纯智慧的德性。故能谨敬的保护和安定他的君主恭王，整治王家事务，仁爱万民。能使远者怀想，近者依恋。至诚感格于皇天，能使上下信任。得到厚生不会泯灭，赐予幸福无有边际。永远思念他的孙子和当今的天子。天子贤明智慧，安事于神。常念伟大的导师我祖师华父（因为他的庇荫），克得以提拔为王官，接受和宣召王的命令，多次地蒙受王的恩赐。光明正大的天子，（永远延续）万年无疆。保护和治理周邦，长久地统治天下。
王在宗周镐京，天明，王到达穆庙，就位。（赞礼官）緟季护佑着膳食官克，入门，立在廷中，面朝北。王招呼史官之长册命膳夫克。如是王曰：“克，以前我命令你，出入宣召朕的命令，今天我还是重申此令。赐给你红色的祭服，三根絅色中间夹两根葱色的衡带。赐给你野地的田，赐给你渒地的田，赐给你井邑（勹+累）人耕种的田于（田+允+山）地，还有其地的奴隶，赐给你匽地的田，赐给你康地的田，赐给你溥原的田，赐给你寒山的田。赐给你史小臣（宫中杂役）、霝官、籥师、鼓师、钟师赐给你井邑的微人和（勹+累）人，收取。赐给你的井邑的人奔于（日+東）地，（不留在井邑）。早晚尽职尽守的工作，不要荒废了朕的法令。”克拜稽首，称扬天子的光明正大的美意，为文祖师华父铸造宝器，克祈愿万年无穷尽，子子孙孙永宝用。
How the Da Ke Ding came to the Shanghai Museum
The ding was bought by renowned collector Pan Zu Yin 潘祖蔭, who also owned the Da Yu ding 大盂鼎. He was considered the authority of ancient dings and had written many books and manuscripts about them. His brother, Pan Zu Nian, took the dings to their family house in Suzhou. When the Sino-Japanese War happened, his descendant buried it in the yard of the Suzhou house, together with the Da Yu ding.
It was donated to the Shanghai Museum in 1952 together with Da Yu ding by the granddaughter-in-law of the Pans, Pan Dayu 潘達于. The Da Yu ding was sequently transferred to the Chinese History Museum (now the National Museum of China) in 1959. They were among the first batch of cultural relics forbidden to go abroad for exhibition in China. She also donated her grandfather’s manuscripts and glass negatives of the ding collection, which are invaluable for the research and preservation of these ancient dings.
Xiao Ke Ding (Food Vessel) 小克鼎/膳夫克鼎
Bronze ware | Western Zhou, King Xiao Reign (c. 10th BC) | Dimensions – H: 56.5 cm, D: (mouth) 49 cm, Wt: 47880 g | Shanghai Museum Collection, Excavated from Famen Town, Fufeng County, Shaanxi during Qing Guangxu reign (r. 1875-1908) 铜器｜西周孝王（公元前10世紀末）｜高56.5厘米，口径49厘米，重47880克｜上海博物馆藏，清光绪中期出土於陝西扶風法門寺任村
The king can have 9 dings according to strict Rituals of Zhou 周禮, and a marquis or royalties 诸侯 can have 7 dings for ritual and worship purposes. Ke must be an important or trusted official (perhaps the first celebrity chef in history?) as it was unusual for a cook (his title in the inscription says 膳夫克 or Chef Ke) to receive the ding as well as 7 other dings (called Xiao Ke ding 小克鼎 to differentiate them from Da Ke ding).
Four of these dings are still in China, three others are in museums in Japan. It would be nice (if not impossible) to see a reunion of all seven of them again.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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