Square ding cauldron of the Marquis of Kang, early Western Zhou period, c. 11th-10th century BCE-China Archive

Dynasty:

Category:Bronzes
Function:, Food utensil
Material:mineral/metal/bronze
Description:; The four legs are cylindrical, with cicada patterns on them. There are two lines and six characters inscribed on the inner wall of the abdomen, “Kanghou Feng (seal) is a treasure statue”. “Feng” is the youngest brother of King Wu, the ninth son of King Wen of Zhou. After the destruction of the Shang Dynasty, King Wu granted the land of “Kang” as a “Marquis”, hence the name “Kang Marquis”. When King Wu died, his son became the successor of the king, and was granted the title of Uncle Kang in Wei. It can be seen from this that at the beginning of the reign of King Cheng in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, Kanghou, the younger brother of King Wu, cast this ritual vessel to worship the ancestral temple with Chen. It can be compared with historical records, and its precious value does not need to be mentioned. This artifact is one of the “Ten Artifacts of the Zhou Path” awarded to the Imperial College in the 34th year of Qianlong’s reign (1769). It is named “Zhou Kang Hou Ding”