Zhou Dynasty Three legged Cauldron

Zhou Dynasty Three legged Cauldron

This cultural relic is a three legged tripod, a bronze vessel, and its ceramic prototype can be traced back to the Peiligang culture of the Neolithic Age. In the early Shang Dynasty (1600-1300 BC), bronze versions of the flat footed tripod began to be cast. Ding is an ancient Chinese cooking or storage vessel, usually with two handles located at the edges, supported by three or four cylindrical legs. The shape of the tripod was almost ubiquitous in early China, including ceramic vessels from the Neolithic period and bronze vessels from the Shang Dynasty, as well as many later imitations of bronze and glazed pottery. This artifact is housed in the Minneapolis Museum of Art.