Though the ding is big and heavy, its workmanship is exquisite. Reliefs of the kui, a one-legged mythical animal, were carved on the four sides of the body of the ding. The animal figures are portrayed with artistic exaggeration and create a ferocious, mysterious and dignified mood. The Simuwu Rectangle Ding reveals a high level of casting technique and artistry. It represents the highest casting achievement of theShang Dynasty. According to archeologists, the King of the Shang Dynasty asked for the Simuwu Rectangle Ding to be made to commemorate his mother.
Dings were used in Chinese Primitive Society as cooking utensils. At first they were made of pottery clay. Then, as metallurgy emerged and developed, the material was changed to bronze at the end of the Shang Dynasty about 3000 years ago. By that time, dings had changed function to become sacrificial vessels and the symbol of their owners' power and wealth. Bronzeware of the Shang Dynasty includes vessels Such as the ding the li which is an ancient cooking tripod with hollow legs, the zun, a wine vessel used in ancient times, and the hu, a type of pot. There are also weapons andmusical instrumentssuch as the nao or big cymbal, the ling or bell, the drum and chimes. Of all the bronzeware, it is the vessels that display the greatest variety.
The Shang Dynasty rulers treasured bronzeware, especially the bronze sacrificial vessels. They handed them down to later generations and they were only used for important events or sacrificial ceremonies. Many of the vessels were inscribed with words describing the slave owner-s power, orders, battle achievements, awards and sacrificial rites so his descendants could know about his life. The inscription on Duke Mao's Ding is the longest known and comprises 497 characters of rich historical record. The number of ding owned by the rulers reflected their social position, and the vessels' weight symbolized the breadth of the owners' power.
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