A lot of treasures left China during the many years of turmoil in the late-19th/early 20th century, and then by illegal smuggling of relics in the mid 20th century. The Chinese government had (for a short period) a program to buy back some of these relics in the early part of the 21st century. “Zi Long” ding was one of the first to be procured.
National Treasure 国宝
“Zi Long” Bronze Ding (Food Container) “子龍”青銅鼎
Bronze ware | Late Shang Dynasty (c. 14th-11th centuries BC) | Dimensions – H: 103cm, W: 80cm, Depth: 43cm | National Museum of China, Reportedly unearthed at Huixian, Henan Province, 1920s. 青铜器｜商后期（约公元前14世纪一前11世纪）｜通高103厘米，鼎宽80厘米，腹深43厘米｜中国国家博物馆藏， 传20世纪20年代河南辉县出土
Excavated in the 1920s from Huixian County 辉县 in Henan Province, “Zi Long” Bronze Ding “子龍”青銅鼎 is the largest Shang-period round ding found to date. Later, it went to Japan and then sold to a private collector in Hong Kong. In April 2006, with the support of the “Special Fund for the Collection of National Key and Precious Cultural Relics”1 established by the Chinese government, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage 国家文物局 procured “Zi Long” ding back to China.
This ding has a thick and heavy body, featuring six paired animal faces, and a deep belly. The exquisite engravings reflect the high level of late Shang bronze technology and art. Because of their different shapes and long history, the “Zi Long” and Houmuwu dings are referred to by some scholars as the “Square and Round Masterpieces” 方圓重寶.
Zilong ding’s rotund body is slightly drooping, like a prosperous middle-age man. It is fused with a pair of handles and three hoof-shaped legs on the bottom. The rim and legs of the tripod are decorated with taotie patterns 饕餮紋. The shape of the food vessel is majestic and stable, and is the largest in the round tripod of the Shang Dynasty discovered.
The Inscriptions
The ding is named “Zi Long” ding 子龍鼎 because near the rim in the inner wall is inscribed with “Zi Long” “子龍” in an early form Jin script 金文.
There was a couple of round dings (a pair of bronze ritual food vessels, Late Shang dynasty | 商末 子龔鼎一對) that was auctioned by Sotherby’s. The inscriptions were a mirror of each other, and they included the characters “Zi Long Gong” “子龍共” which was interpreted as “Zi Gong” “子龔”. In Jin script, “子龍” and “子龔” are used interchangeably. According to ancient scrip and bronze ware expert Zhu Fenghan 朱凤瀚, “Zi Long” and “Zi Gong” refer to the same person; he was the nephew of the Shang queen Gong 龚后, whom name appeared in many oracle fragments. He was conferred the title “Zi” “子” because of this affiliation.
Origin of the Character “Dragon”
The oracle scripts on these turtle shell fragments read, “癸丑卜，贞：灷（zhuan）往追龙，从条西，及。” (left) and “贞：龙来以”. Zhuan “灷” was a general during Shang Wu Ding period 商代武丁 (remember him? Husband of Fu Hao and Fu Jing). In the oracle script, he was described as chasing a snake-like creature, finally subduing it for King Wu Ding’s use. Hence the oracle character for “dragon” comes from Zhuan on top of a snake.
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.
- 中央财政设立的“国家重点珍贵文物征集专项经费” ↩︎
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