Ding (vessel)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A ding or ting (Chinese: 鼎; pinyin: dǐng) is an ancient Chinese vessel with three legs; hence, it is also called a tripod.

Dings can be made of ceramic or bronze in various shapes. Smaller ones are believed to be cooking utensils, while larger versions are believed to be sacrificial or commemorative vessels. The older dings are dated back to Shang Dynasty. In China, ding is a symbol of dynasty. Inscriptions on dings and zhongs are studied for bronzeware script.

The architecture of the Shanghai Museum is intended to resemble a bronze ding.

[edit] External links

• Chinese bronze vessels
• Picture of a ding
• Da Ke Ding, in Shanghai Museum