![]() Therefore, the ding is often used as an implicit symbolism for power. In Chinese history and culture, possession of one or more ancient ding is often associated with power and dominion over the land. Subsequently, imperial authority was represented by the Heirloom Seal of the Realm, carved out of the sacred Heshibi it was lost at some point during the Five Dynasties after the collapse of the Tang. The number of permitted ding varied according to one's rank in the Chinese nobility: the Nine Ding of the Zhou kings were a symbol of their rule over all China but were lost by the first emperor, Shi Huangdi in the late 3rd century BCE. Under the Zhou, the ding and the privilege to perform the associated rituals became symbols of authority. The earliest recovered examples are pre- Shang ceramic ding at the Erlitou site but they are better known from the Bronze Age, particularly after the Zhou deemphasized the ritual use of wine practiced by the Shang kings. They were used for cooking, storage, and ritual offerings to the gods or to ancestors. They were made in two shapes: round vessels with three legs and rectangular ones with four, the latter often called fangding. They are one of the most important shapes used in Chinese ritual bronzes. Da He ding the human face is a highly unusual decoration.ĭing ( 鼎) are prehistoric and ancient Chinese cauldrons, standing upon legs with a lid and two facing handles.
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