When I first saw it at Shanghai Museum when it came for a special bronze ware exhibition back in 2016, I was intrigued by the face on the sides of the ding.
National Treasure 国宝
Da He Ding 大禾方鼎 (Ceremonial Food Vessel)
Bronzeware | Late Shang period (c. 1250-1046 BC) | H: 38.5 cm high, L: 29.8 cm, W: 23.7 cm, Wt 12.85 kg | Excavated in Shengxi Village, Tanheli Township, Huangcai Town, Ningxiang County, Hunan Province (1959) | Hunan Museum collection. 铜器｜商代晚期（约公元前1250年—前1046年）｜通高38.5厘米，口长29.8厘米，宽23.7厘米，重12.85千克｜湖南宁乡县黄材镇炭河里乡胜溪村出土（1959年）｜湖南博物院藏1
The Da He ding, or Da He fangding (rectangular ding) 大禾方鼎, is an ancient Chinese bronze rectangular ding vessel from the late Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). Unearthed in Tanheli, Ningxiang, Hunan in 1959, it is on display in the Hunan Museum. Uniquely decorated with a high-relief human face on each of its four sides, it is the only known ancient Chinese bronze cauldron to use human faces as decoration.2
Ding is originally a kind of ritual vessel used in ancient China. There are legends in Chinese history saying that Emperor Yu of the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 B.C.) once cast nine dings. After the downfall of the Xia Dynasty, these nine Dings became the property of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 B.C.), and after the downfall of the Shang Dynasty, they again belonged to the emperors of Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 B.C.). Ding thus became a symbol of royal power. For the individuals, however, owning a Ding means high social status and power.
This Ding has two handles on the top of its brim and four underlying legs. The most attractive parts, however, are the four human face reliefs on its belly. These faces have thick brows and large eyes, high nose ridges and protruding cheekbones, tightly-shut mouths and serious expressions. On each side of each forehead is a zigzagging small horn, and on every side of each cheek an animal paw. This indicates that these are not human faces but rather the images of gods or grotesque spirits.
Boar-shaped Bronze Zun 商代豕形铜尊 (Wine Vessel)
Bronzeware | Shang Dynasty (16th –11th Century BC) | H: 40cm; L: 72cm | Unearthed from Chuanxingshan, Xiangtan County, Hunan Province | Hunan Museum collection. 铜器｜商代（约公元前1600年—前1046年）｜高40，长72厘米｜1981年湘潭九华船形山出土｜湖南博物院藏3
Bronzeware is a significant symbol of Chinese civilisation and the ding vessel is arguably the most important genre of bronzeware created by ancient Chinese.4 Animalistic motifs are common in household items and especially ritual items of the Shang and Zhou eras. However, such Janus-like vessels were rare even in those good old days.
All photos taken at Shanghai Museum, Jan 2016, during a special exhibition of bronzware from Hunan Museum, unless otherwise indicated.
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.
Footnotes :
- 全国唯一的以人面纹为饰的鼎。商代晚期。通高38.5厘米，口长29.8厘米，宽23.7厘米。颜色碧绿，器身略呈矩形，口部略大于底部，两耳直立，四柱状足，足上部有兽面纹，器身外表四周饰半浮雕的人面。人面周围有云雷纹，人面的额部两侧有角、下巴两侧有爪。鼎腹内壁铸“大禾”两字铭文，因此鼎亦被称为大禾方鼎。
商、周青铜器以兽面纹作主题纹饰较为常见，人面纹饰较为稀有珍贵，此鼎以四个相同的人面纹装饰器体的主要部位，更加奇特。有的专家认为这组人面纹有爪而无身，属于传说中“有首无身”、贪吃人的凶兽饕餮一类怪神。究竟为何采用如此写实的人面纹作主题装饰，仍是个谜。
从艺术形式上看，此器运用反复、对称的装饰手法，布局严密，写实与抽象纹饰结合。四组相同的纹饰集于一身，不仅强化了装饰主题，而且给人视觉上以强烈的冲击，达到特定的装饰效果，反映出商代晚期青铜制作者已具备了较强的写实能力和形象概括能力。
发现与入藏过程
约在1958-1959年左右，中国湖南宁乡县黄材镇炭河里乡胜溪村一个叫新屋湾的地方，一位农民在挖地时发现了这件人面方鼎，当时，并没有引起他的特别注意，不久，他把这件器物连同他们家的一堆废铁卖给了收废品的人。
当时，正是全国人民大炼钢铁的年代，金属制品是重要的回收物资。
很快，这件器物像所有当地的废旧金属制品一样被分类集中到了长沙毛家桥废铜仓库。在废铜仓库，专门的拣选师傅将对铜料再次分拣，然后分送到有关冶炼厂。
这件今天被定为了国宝的人面方鼎，就堆在小山一样的、准备发送到冶炼厂的材料中。幸运的是，这件器物的一块残片被湖南省博物馆派驻到废铜仓库拣选文物的师傅发现了。于是，他们跟踪追击，找到了10多块，经初步拼对与研究，发现只缺一条腿与底部。器物运到馆里后，修复师傅张欣如马上对其进行了修复。有意思的是，隔了二年，残缺的一腿也找到了，于是用这条正宗的腿换下了假腿。
该鼎最让人惊奇的地方是在器物的四周各装饰了一个又大又醒目的半浮雕人面。其实，器物上表现的对象，是有头、有身、有角、有爪的半人半兽的“超人”，躯干因器物平面表现的局限而隐去。https://www.hnmuseum.com/zh-hans/zuixintuijie/大禾人面纹方鼎, accessed 20 Dec 2025 ↩︎ - 商、周时期青铜器大多用兽面纹作主题纹饰，人面纹饰较为稀有珍贵，大禾人面纹方鼎用四个相同的人面纹来装饰器体的主要部位，显得十分奇特。在这座鼎的腹内壁近口沿处，刻有铭文“大禾”二字。考古专家分析，这个“大禾”有可能是指此青铜器所有者的名字，即物主标记，这只青铜器因此被定名为“大禾人面纹方鼎”，亦被称为“大禾方鼎”。https://www.baike.com/wikiid/7275299624448245797?anchor=reference_list_title, accessed 20 Dec 2025 ↩︎
- 湘潭九华出土的猪尊作野公猪形状。尊为酒器，猪背上开椭圆形口，设盖，腹内盛酒。盖上捉手残缺，根据残存情况复原成凤鸟形。双眼直视，獠牙外露，两耳竖立，四肢粗壮，尾下垂。从动物进化的角度看，不属于家养，而是一条孔武有力的野公猪。肘部前后各有一圆形管孔，经过尊腹，直通另一肘部。此管应是先铸，然后安装于豕尊范中铸造的。从实用的角度考虑，此器重达30多公斤，容积有13公升，盛满之后，一个人难以搬运，有此管孔，可以穿系绳索，供人抬举，安装此管的作用是便于人们搬运。背部有椭圆形孔，为酒的出入口，此尊盛酒后，难以倒出，应当是配备有取酒的勺。猪身上装饰有鳞甲、龙纹和兽面纹。以野猪作为器物形制，在现有的商代青铜器中仅此一例。有的考古学者认为商周时期的象生动物具有表意的功能及象征的意味，艺术地表现了人们的原始宗教观念。其具体作用是人们与神灵之间的沟通媒介，起着巫术般的祈求避邪作用。
1981年年初，湘潭县九华公社桂花大队船形山生产队队员朱桂武忙着盖新房。在平整新房地基时，挖出一件猪形铜器。经过文物部门鉴定，确认这是一个商代猪尊。湖南省博物馆派人调查，猪尊的出土地点是面对湘江的一个山坳里，附近没有其他器物，属于窖藏出土。有意思的是窖藏内近豕尊处的填土是细沙土，与窖藏本身的泥土不一致。沙土不积水，猪尊周边置沙土，应当是为了保证铜器周边相对干燥。https://www.hnmuseum.com/zh-hans/zuixintuijie/商代豕形铜尊
The Boar-shaped Bronze Zun unearthed in Chuanxing Mountain of Jiuhua Village in Xiangtan County in 1981 is in vivid boar shape with strong legs, round buttocks and belly, 40cm high and 72cm long. The boar is standing up, with an oval hole on its back. A lid is arranged on the hole, with a standing bird as its lifting handle. On the head the beast mask is cut in intaglio; the surface of belly, back and cover is decorated with scale and shell pattern; inverted Kui pattern is cast on the limbs and buttocks. The vessel with an empty tubular belly has the capacity of thirteen liters.
It is the only relics in the existing bronzes of Shang Dynasty that is in the shape of a boar. Apart from its vividness, what’s more distinctive of the vessel is that the holes on the front and rear elbow are in alignment and there are circular tubes in the diameter of 1.4cm therein. It is speculated that ropes can thread through the circular tubes, thereby facilitating the moving of the bronze, from which we can see the full consideration into the shape design. https://www.hnmuseum.com/en/zuixintuijie/boar-shaped-bronze-zun, accessed 20 Dec 2025 ↩︎ - 人面纹方鼎整体以云雷纹为地纹，器壁四面装饰高浮雕的人面纹饰；腹内壁铸铭文“大禾”两字。这件器物是目前出土商周青铜器中唯一一件以人面纹作为主题装饰的青铜方鼎。鼎历来是国家权力的象征，人面与兽身的结合，体现了王权与神权的结合。其特殊装饰，更是体现出古代长江流域文明的独特意识形态与祭祀礼仪风格。Museum information card, accessed 20 Dec 2025 ↩︎
0 comments on “National Treasure – Da He Ding (Shang Dynasty)”