Inscribed bronze dings 青铜鼎铭文 are referred to as Instruments of the Nation 国之重器 and are important records of history before bamboo slips and publications were prevalent.
General Duoyou Bronze Ding 多友鼎
Bronze ware | Late Western Zhou period (mid-9th century BC – 771 BC) | Dimensions – H: 51.5cm, D: 50cm, Depth: 31cm, Wt: 35kg. Foot – H: 20cm | Shaanxi History Museum Collection, Excavated from Xi’an Chang’an County Chuan Village in 1980. 青铜器｜西周晚期（公元前9世纪中叶-前771年）｜通高51.5厘米，口径50厘米，深31厘米，重35千克，蹄形足高20厘米｜陕西历史博物馆藏，1980年陕西长安县下泉村出土
General Duoyou Bronze Ding 多友鼎 is a Western Zhou bronze ding that was excavated since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 with the most number of inscribed words . The ding was dated to be around the reign of Western Zhou King Li 西周厉王时期 (877–841 BC) and was considered one of the 18 National Treasures in the collection of Shaanxi History Museum.
The owner of this ding was thought to be the brother of King Li, Duke of Zheng named You 郑桓公名友. But the timeline of the war described in the ding predated the birth date of Duke. Also, there was no other dings attributed to the Duke, who was entitled to make seven dings instead of one. So for clarity and accuracy, I would refer the owner as General Duoyou.
On the inside wall of the Ding was inscribed with a history passage of 22 lines 279 words, describing General Duoyou’s successful war with a barbaric tribe named Xianyun 猃狁 (xiǎn yǔn). Hence, he was given bronze material to make this ding. This Xianyun tribe is believed to be the predecessor of the Xiongnu tribe, hence this ding provided important evidence and record of the social, political and military information of the pre-Xiongnu period.
Inscriptions on the inside wall of the Duoyou Ding
銘文：
唯十月，用放（玁狁方興），（廣）伐京（師），告追于王，命武公：“遣乃元士，羞追于京?（師）。”武公命多友（率）公車，羞追于京（師）。癸未，戎伐?（筍），衣孚（卒俘），多友西追。甲申之（辰），（搏）于，多友右（有）折首執（訊）：凡（以）公車折首二百又□又五人，執（訊）廿又三人，孚（俘）戎車百乘一十又七乘，衣（卒復筍）人孚（俘）。或（又搏）于龏（龔），折首卅又六人，執（訊）二人，孚（俘）車十乘，從至。追（搏）于世，多友或右（又有）折首執（訊），乃?追，至于楊冢，公車折首百又十又五人，執（訊）三人，唯孚（俘）車不克，衣（以卒）焚，唯馬敺（盡）。（復奪）京（師）之孚（俘）。多友乃孚??（獻俘馘訊）于公，武公廼?（獻）于王。廼曰武公曰：“女（汝）既靜京（師），?女（賚汝），易女（錫汝）土田。”丁酉，武公才（在獻）宮。廼命向父佋（召）多友，廼徙于?（獻）宮。公寴（親）曰多友曰：“余肈吏女（使汝），休，不?（逆），又（有）成事，多禽（擒），女（汝）靜京（師），易女（錫汝）圭?（瓚）一，湯（鍚）鐘一?（肆），鐈鋚百匀（鈞）。”多友???（敢對揚）公休，用乍?（作尊）鼎，用（朋）用（友），其子子孫永寶用。
译文：
周朝末年的周厉王时期某年十月，生活在北方的游牧民族猃狁向周发起了攻击，危及京畿腹地，，厉王命令武公派遣多友率兵迎击，激战半个月，先后在采阝、龚、世、杨冢等地战斗，共打了四次大仗，都取得了胜利。杀掉敌军356人，俘获28人，缴获战车127辆，夺回了被掳去的人民，将猃狁逐出了国境。武公将多友的战绩报告给了厉王，厉王给予以多友重赏，赐给多友青铜一百多钧。为了感谢周王，也为了纪念这次胜利，多发将赏赐的青铜铸为鼎并铸铭文记录了这件事情。
In burial tradition, the number of dings that can be buried with the dead indicates the social status of the tomb owner. According to Rites of Zhou, the king can be buried with nine dings and 8 guis 天子九鼎八簋, a marquis or royalty with 7 dings 6 guis, a high ranking official with 5 dings 4 guis, civil servants with 3 dings and 2 guis. Civilians are not allowed to be buried with dings.
Dings were originally used cooking utensils, hence when Duoyou ding was excavated, the archaeologists found 2cm of soot on the bottom of the ding. By mid-Western Zhou period, especially after the Rites of Zhou was established, the bronze ding became a status symbol. There are mainly two types of ding by this period; one was the Ke Ding type 克鼎类, a famous example was the Da Ke Ding 大克鼎. This type has a basin shape with animal mask on the legs; second was the Mao Gong Ding 毛公鼎 type, half-spherical with hoofed legs and simple repetitive patterns. The Duoyou ding belongs to this type.
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.
0 comments on “Treasures – General Duoyou Bronze Ding (Western Zhou Dynasty)”