Xiaochen [0011] Fang Ding

[Xiaochen [0011] square tripod]

Xiaochen [0011] square tripod, 29.6cm high, 22.5 caliber × 17 cm, weight 6.18 kg
Square lips, two straight ears, rectangular abdomen, four columnar feet. The neck is decorated with Kui pattern, with cloud and thunder pattern as the bottom decoration, the belly is decorated with large animal face pattern, and the lower part of each side is decorated with an inverted Kui pattern
The inscription on the inner wall of the vessel is 4 lines and 22 characters:
The king gave the small minister [0011] (Yin Wu) [28202]
For five years, [0011] used
to enjoy the honor of Prince B’s family
. [0012] Father B
The main idea is that the king of Shang rewarded his close minister with five years of storage in “0011”. [0011] So this tripod was made and placed in the family temple to honor the dead father, Prince B
The relationship between Xiaochen [0011] and Prince B and the royal family in the bronze inscription is noteworthy. The inscription indicates that Xiaochen [0011] and Prince B are father and son, and their family name is [0012]. If Prince B can be understood as the prince, it means that “0012” is the name of the Shang royal family. Enjoy is a sacrificial name, which means offering food to dead fathers and ancestors.

小臣『0011』方鼎铭文小臣『0011』方鼎铭文拓片