Thing (vessel)
The thing ( Chinese 鼎 , pinyin dǐng ) is a Chinese cult object , which is usually made of bronze , sometimes also of ceramic . The Chinese character for 'thing' is also the class symbol ( radical 206 ) of the 214 traditional radicals .
The thing is shaped like a vessel with three long legs. Rectangular things with four legs, so-called catching things (方 鼎) , are rarer . The meaning and history of the object is now usually interpreted in such a way that the thing was originally a vessel for preparing meat dishes. Its importance as a cult object would have arisen from the importance of meat in sacrificial rites and as a social status symbol. The oldest known things date back to the Shang Dynasty . Ding are often provided with inscriptions. The great importance given to the thing in cultural history in China is shown, for example, in the fact that the shape of the Shanghai Museum , one of the most important museums on Chinese cultural history, is modeled on a thing.
Web links
- Shanghai Museum (s)
- The nine tripods Chinese 九鼎 , Pinyin Jĭu Dĭng (English)