Posted 2016/8/10
Simuwu Ding, excavated in Anyang Yin Ruins in Henan Province, is the heaviest ancient bronze ware in the world by now, which is named for the three Chinese characters "Si Mu Wu" carved on the belly of the vessel. With a height of 133mm and a weight of 833kg, Simuwu Ding was moulded in the late period of Shang Dynasty (About 14 Century B.C. to 11 Century B.C.) with an august and overwhelming outline. It is a dominant sacrificial vessel in Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and it is presumed that Simuwu Ding was moulded by the King of Shang for sacrificing his mother.
The lip edge of Simuwu Ding is very thick, and its outline is square and straight, appearing an unshakable vigor. The center of the four elevations is hollow and plain, and surrounded with representative beasts and dragon patterns of the Shang dynasty. On the side of the ear of the vessel, two feral tigers opening their mouths and holding a head of a person together are carved on it, romancing a sense of urgency in spirit to show the supreme authority of the governing classes.
A ton of metal material and a huge smelter are needed to cast such grand bronze ware. Simuwu Ding completely shows the production scale and technical level of bronze casting industry in the Shang Dynasty, and it is the representative work of the bronze culture in its heyday in the Shang Dynasty and is also an extremely precious national treasure of China.
