Century Baoding is placed on the green lawn of the North Garden of the United Nations Building. The tripod is 0.5 meters high, symbolizing the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The height of the tripod is 2. 1 m, which symbolizes the coming 2 1 century. Ding weighs 1.5 tons, with three feet and two ears, a slightly bulging belly and a round bottom, surrounded by Shang and Zhou decorative patterns, embossed animal faces and moire filling. The base is decorated with 56 dragons, symbolizing that all the 56 ethnic groups in China are descendants of dragons. On ZH Inner Casting (Ding Inner Casting), there is an inscription "Casting a Hundred-year Baoding to celebrate the 50th birthday of the United Nations". There are four golden characters "Century Baoding" in front of the tripod. On the back of the tripod is written "1995 10 from People's Republic of China (PRC) (PRC)". The whole Baoding of Zhàn is simple and elegant, with exquisite craftsmanship, and it is a magnificent masterpiece.
Ding is a kind of cooker used by ancient ancestors in China, and later developed into a ritual vessel. There are two phrases in China's idiom: Yes and "It's a deal", which reflects Ding's unique position in China's ancient social life. As an important ritual vessel, chāng symbolizes unity, unity and authority, and is a mascot representing peace, development and prosperity. Baoding in this century is a masterpiece of ancient bronze art in China, which combines ancient skills and modern technology in one furnace. Its overall structure, artistic modeling and decoration show the long history and splendid culture of the Chinese nation.
The United Nations cherishes gifts from all countries in the world, and each gift has its own meaning. China's bag has a deeper meaning. Zhi Ding is prosperous and Zhao Long is auspicious. It expresses the good wishes of the people of China to the United Nations and hopes for a better new century. This is also the common aspiration of peace-loving people all over the world.
1. Ding and Ancient Bronzes
Since the discovery of bronzes, human culture has jumped from primitive society to a new stage of civilization, and bronzes have become a distinctive symbol of the times.
Half of China's 5,000-year history of civilization was cast with brightly feathered bronzes. Judging from the earliest bronzes that appeared before 2000 BC, Erlitou culture in the Central Plains of the Yellow River Basin (that is, the eastern suburb of Luoyang, the ancient capital of the 13th Dynasty) and Qijia culture in its upper reaches have a history of more than 4,000 years, which has become a bronze age lasting more than 2,000 years and occupies an important position in the history of Chinese civilization. In the early Bronze Age, it was the Neolithic Age, and only pottery products were scattered, but in the late Bronze Age, they were replaced by porcelain and iron products. Therefore, in the long history of bronzes for more than two thousand years, its products are colorful and its craftsmanship is brilliant. There are all kinds of bronze dings as a symbol of power, as well as all kinds of court ritual vessels, sacrificial vessels, wine vessels, containers, daily necessities, furnishings and handicrafts, such as statues, pots, cups, cans, bells, lamps, stoves, etc., and their shapes are also spread all over dragons, tigers, cows, horses, sheep and deer. From daily necessities to musical instruments, from ornaments to weapons of war. It can be said that today's people, with their starry sky and numerous varieties, have completely recorded the history of Chinese civilization, and it is also evidence that the royal family, courts, waiting doors and earl of all previous dynasties were luxuriously decorated before their death, pursued immortality after their death, and were buried with them expensively and richly.
All the ancient civilizations in the world have experienced the Bronze Age, and only ancient China endowed bronzes with important social significance, profound spiritual connotation and highly perfect artistic forms. The achievements of ancient bronze art in China were mainly embodied in the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, which lasted for more than two thousand years. Since modern times, a large number of bronzes have been unearthed, which has gradually clarified the long-term hazy ancient history of China.
China entered the class society from the Xia Dynasty, and the bronze manufacturing industry symbolizing national political power, military power and theocracy was completely monopolized by nobles. The manufacture of these bronzes is based on the will, needs and aesthetic wishes of the nobles. After more than 20 centuries of development and evolution, Chinese bronzes can be divided into the following periods:
development period
time division
Primitive period
descendant
Fashion prevailing period
The Shang Dynasty moved its capital to Yin (now Anyang, Henan Province) to the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, which was about the period from Wuding King of Shang Dynasty to the west.
Maturity of Western Zhou Style
Late Western Zhou Dynasty to Early Spring and Autumn Period
The prevailing period of Eastern Zhou style
Mid-Spring and Autumn Period to Warring States Period
The tripod in bronze ware was originally a very common cooker in ancient times, but its practical significance gradually weakened and became a symbol of power. The legend of Jiuding in Zhu Xia shows the important position of bronzes in the minds of the ancients. The event of "Winning the Central Plains" in the Spring and Autumn Period is the continuation of this concept. Now the largest bronze ware in ancient China, the Si Mu Wu Ding in Shang Dynasty, can make us feel the spirit shock of the Ding.
Two. An overview of ding culture
Ding is the representative of bronze culture in China. In ancient times, the tripod was regarded as a heavy weapon for the founding of the country and a symbol of state and power. People in China still have a sense of tripod worship, and the word "tripod" has been endowed with extended meanings such as "honor", "honor" and "grand", such as keeping promises, making famous, helping each other at its peak and so on. Ding is also a ritual vessel for meritorious service. In the Zhou Dynasty, monarchs or princes and ministers had to cast a tripod at major celebrations or receive awards to show their achievements and record the grand occasion.
Ding was endowed with sacred color, which originated from the legend of Jiuding. Ding was originally an ancient cooker, equivalent to the current pot, used to stew fish and hold fish. Xu Shen said in Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "Ding, three feet and two ears, the treasure of five flavors." There are three-legged tripod and four-legged Fang Ding. The earliest tripod was made of clay, and later there was a bronze tripod made of bronze. Legend has it that Yu Xia once collected the gold of nine animal husbandry and cast Jiuding under Jingshan Mountain to symbolize Kyushu, and carved fascinating figures on it to alert people and prevent them from being hurt. Since the legend of Zhu Yu's nine cauldrons came into being, the cauldron has developed from an ordinary cooker to a national heavyweight vessel. From Shang Dynasty to Zhou Dynasty, "Dingding" was the capital or established a dynasty. The country was destroyed, Ding moved, Xia dynasty was destroyed, Shang dynasty was prosperous, Jiuding moved to Beijing, and Shangdu. With the demise of Shang Dynasty, Zhou Chaoxing and Jiuding moved to Beijing.
There is an allusion to "winning the championship" in history, which comes from "Three Years of Zuo Zhuan Gong Xuan", to the effect that Chu Zhuangwang came to Luoyang to crusade against foreign enemies and inspect the army on the site of the Emperor of Zhou. King Ding of Zhou sent Doctor Wang to comfort him and took the opportunity to ask about the size. Wang Yue: The government is virtuous, the tripod is small and heavy, the monarch has no way, and the tripod is big and light. The Zhou Dynasty made a tripod for the Central Plains, and its power was a godsend. The weight of the tripod is not appropriate. Chu Zhuangwang won the championship, which means replacing the Zhou Dynasty. The result was severely reprimanded by the king's angel. Later, the plot to usurp the throne was called "winning the championship."
Ding is the witness of civilization and the carrier of culture. According to the legend of Zhu Yu Jiu Ding, it can be inferred that China had bronze smelting and casting technology as early as 4000 years ago; The bronze ding of Shang Dynasty unearthed underground proved conclusively that Shang Dynasty in China was a highly developed bronze age. The "Simuwu" Dafang Ding collected by China History Museum is a bronze tripod in the late Shang Dynasty. Rectangular, four legs, height 1.33cm, weight 835 kg. This is the largest bronze ware in Shang Dynasty. Ding belly has the word "Simuwe", which was cast by Shang Zhouwang as a sacrifice to his mother Wu. Da, Da and Mao He unearthed in the Qing Dynasty are all famous bronzes in the Western Zhou Dynasty. The inscriptions on bronze wares such as Ding recorded the laws and regulations of Shang and Zhou Dynasties and historical facts such as conferring titles, offering sacrifices and conquering. And handed down the seal script of the Western Zhou Dynasty to later generations, forming a bronze calligraphy art with high aesthetic value. Ding is therefore more valuable and becomes a more important historical relic than other bronzes. Li Zehou, an aesthetician, believes that Chinese bronzes, with their unique tripod as the core, are thick and solid, with hideous and mysterious patterns and deep carvings, and are the most aesthetic bronze works in the mature period of China bronze art.
Although the word "Ding" in modern Chinese characters has undergone many changes, such as Oracle Bone Inscriptions, inscriptions on bronze, seal script and official script. Up to now, it still retains the style and physical characteristics of "Ding", which is almost integrated with its characters and has rich cultural connotations.
Source:
Allusions and sources of Ding's related words
Xia Chuan JIU ding
Archaeological findings can confirm that many ancient documents set the date when China started casting bronzes in the Xia Dynasty. According to legend, Yu Xia was acclaimed as king because of his achievements in water control. Tribal leaders in Kyushu (representing all parts of China) presented their gold (bronze) to Yu Xia in succession, and chiefs from various countries also presented their own images. Then, Yu Xia cast nine cauldrons with these bronzes and decorated them with various images to symbolize Kyushu.
Jiuding, which was cast in Yu Xia, later became the "Jiuding" handed down from Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. As a symbol of state power, "Tintin", "Shengding" and "Ding Qian" all refer to the establishment or change of state power, which shows the important position of bronzes in the minds of the ancients.
These nine cauldrons were later spread to the royal family of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in the Spring and Autumn Period, and the story of the king of Chu "winning the Central Plains" appeared. This story developed to the Han Dynasty, and the story of "taking a tripod from Surabaya" appeared again: according to legend, Jiuding was later taken away by King Qin Zhaowang, and a tripod fell into Surabaya while being transported. When Qin Shihuang sent someone to salvage it, just after pulling it out of the water, it was bitten by a dragon and fell into the water-because the Qin Dynasty had no virtue, it should not keep its promise.
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Won the title of comic book.
We often hear people say that they have won the top three places, such as Zhongyuan and Boxing Champion. In fact, the story of winning the championship originated from the historical story of winning the championship in the Spring and Autumn Period. Deliberately stationed troops on the border near Luoshui, King Ding of Zhou sent a doctor Wang to comfort the Chu army. Asked about the importance of Jiuding's existence, Wang cleverly replied: The son of heaven won the world because of virtue, not because of the tripod, and took the Xia and Shang monarchs as an example to show that virtue makes the tripod heavy, and vice versa. Although the Zhou family has declined, it is still the ruler of heaven, so the weight of the tripod can't be asked casually. The purpose of Chu Zhuangwang's Olympic bid is to replace Zhou and win the world. This is why Ding is very important to the country.
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"Eating on a Ding" and "Zhong Ming Shi Ding"
Ancient aristocrats usually came to cook the meat with a tripod, divided different kinds of meat into several tripods to cook, and ate them directly after cooking. Therefore, there is a saying in ancient books that "stand on the tripod and eat".
In addition, in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, bronze ding was often used as a sacrificial vessel. The casting process of bronze is much more difficult than pottery, which requires a lot of manpower and material resources. Usually, only the ruling and smelting classes can cast, so the tripod becomes a symbol of aristocratic status and class, so it represents the life of the nobility with "Zhong Ming".