The tripod has a rectangular body, a thick mouth edge and a straight outline, showing an unshakable momentum. Stepmother has ears, a square stomach and empty legs. Except that the center of the tripod body is a rectangular plain surface without ornamentation, there are ornamentation in other places. On the exquisite Yun Leiwen, the main decorative patterns of each part have their own forms. The tripod body is mainly decorated with gluttony around the square surface, and the four sides are decorated by the door, with the bull's head on the side and gluttony on the bottom. There are two tigers on the outside of the tripod ear, mouth to mouth and head inside. The ears are decorated with fish lines. The decorative patterns of the four tripod feet are also unique, with an animal face on each of the three strings. According to textual research, Wu Ding, the stepmother, should be a heavy weapon of the Shang royal family, and her modeling, decoration and craftsmanship have reached a fairly high level. It is the representative work of bronze culture in the heyday of Shang Dynasty. Stepmother Wu Ding's handle decoration is also exquisite. The two dragons and tigers opened their huge mouths and contained a head, which later evolved into an auspicious pattern of "playing with pearls in a dragon". It is generally believed that this kind of art shows the deterrent power of nature and God. Now some people speculate that the man is a virgin who presides over divination. He took the initiative to put his head into the dragon's mouth in order to show off his courage and magic and make the people submit to his orders. It is entirely possible that the Virgin appeared with two beasts, and such patterns can often be seen in bronzes and Oracle Bone Inscriptions. The word "stepmother Wu" was cast in the tripod-shaped abdomen of the stepmother. Some people interpreted it as "Simuwu", which was cast by the Shang Dynasty or Zujia as a sacrifice to her mother. Stepmother Wu Ding's tripod body and tripod feet are integrally cast, and the tripod ears are cast after the tripod body is cast. To cast such a tall bronze ware, the required metal material should be above 1000 kg, and there should be a larger melting furnace.
Wu Ding, the stepmother, was the heaviest bronze casting in the pre-Qin period. The casting age is about the late Shang dynasty, which reflects the technical level of bronze smelting and casting industry in Yin and Shang dynasties and is the representative work of Shang and Zhou bronzes.
The editor of this paragraph found that Wu Ding, the world's largest bronze stepmother, was discovered by local farmer Wu Xizeng in the farmland north of Wuguan Village in Anyang, Henan Province on March 1939. Since the discovery of Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Xiaotun Village, Anyang, local simple farmers have gradually realized the value of cultural relics in Yin Ruins, so they actively participated in the activities of excavating cultural relics.
1One morning in March, 939, Wu Xizeng used a probe to search for cultural relics in the fields of Pally Wu. When the probe drilled to a depth of more than ten meters underground, it hit a hard object. Wu Xizeng picked up the probe and looked at it. He found a blade with green rust on the hard probe, and he realized that he had found a treasure. According to local regulations, there is no boundary for treasure exploration, but when the treasure is discovered, the owner of the place where the treasure is located will get half the price. After Wu Xizeng and Pally Wu agreed, they broke ground and dug for treasure that night. The excavation was carried out in secret. At midnight, I dug about 10 meters deep and found the treasure. First, the bottom of the vessel is dug up, and then the whole vessel is exposed. At that time, the mouth of Dafang tripod was facing northeast and the foot of the column was facing southwest, which was as big as a manger in the soil, but only one tripod ear was missing. People searched in the soil for a long time, but they couldn't find it. I guess it was broken and lost before it was buried underground.
The next night, Wu Xizeng organized more than forty people to lift it. They set up a shelf at the mouth of the cave, and tied two hemp ropes about five centimeters thick, one on the tripod ear and the other on the foot of the column. Some people pull it hard. Someone pried one end under the hole, filled the bottom with soil, then pried the other end and filled it with soil, and lifted it up bit by bit. When we reached six or seven meters, it was dawn and the hole was blocked to prevent others from finding it. On the third night, the oversized Fang Ding was finally pulled out.
When the tripod was first named, experts interpreted its inscription as "Simuwu". But with the discovery of more bronzes of the same period, experts now think it should be interpreted as' stepmother Wu'. However, due to the extensive publicity of history textbooks for primary and secondary schools (currently, the textbooks published by People's Education Press are still called "Simu Wuding"), the names of Simu Wuding and Simu Wuding are relatively famous at present.
Inscription in Dingnei
There are two theories about stepmother Wu Ding. When we say "four" and read "sacrifice", "Mother E" is the mother's temple name, and the tripod was cast by Wen Ding as a sacrifice to her mother. The other is "Si", which means "Hou" and means Wang, and the stepmother is Wang's mother. Tong Hou of the former Qin queen, pay attention, this is not the mother and the queen mother.
1976, Ding Xin, the stepmother, was excavated from the Muhao Tomb in Yinxu, Anyang. Through comparison, it is found that the shape, ornamentation and inscription style of stepmother Ding Xin are consistent with that of stepmother Wuding, and it is recorded in history that Fu Hao is the queen of Wuding, the Shang king, so experts infer that the owner of Wuding's tomb is also Wuding's wife. [ 1]
"Simu Wuding" was originally named "Stepmother Wuding"
On March 6th, 2065438+0/kloc-0, the host of CCTV News 30 read "I have no fixed thoughts" as "my stepmother has no fixed thoughts", which caused many netizens to question.
In history textbooks, the saying about this tripod has always been "Simu Wuding". So, is it the announcer's slip of the tongue or the textbook's mistake? The person in charge of Yin Ruins in Anyang said that according to the custom, it is still called "Simu Wuding". In this regard, some experts said that the academic community thought it should be renamed "stepmother Wu Ding". On the evening of March 6th, around 1, the netizen "Forged Steel" posted on Sina Weibo, saying that when listening to the report of CCTV's "News for 30 Minutes" about the bronze statue exhibition of Guo Bo, the reporter on the spot mentioned "stepmother Wu Ding" twice in the news broadcast. "I thought I found a new bronze ware." Netizen "forged steel" said, but the picture gives people the feeling of "Simu Wuding". Yesterday afternoon, a reporter from Henan Business Daily found this news in china network television: On the morning of March 6th, the first batch of 184 cultural relics were transported to the National Museum from two cultural relics protection centers of the National Museum, including a national treasure-Wu Dafang Ding, the stepmother of Shang Dynasty. After the post was sent, many netizens came to watch. The netizen "I am China Lv Dongbin" thinks that CCTV has made a mistake, "The news is too rough, and the quality of personnel needs to be strengthened". Some netizens also pointed out that there should be no mispronouncing, because the name of this tripod was determined as "Simuwu" according to the three bronze inscriptions on the belly of the tripod when it was unearthed, and some people thought it was "stepmother Wu". On the afternoon of the official title of the National Museum Network as "Stepmother Wu Ding", Weibo, the official Sina of CCTV News 30 Minutes, responded to the query of netizens, saying that neither the host nor the reporter was mistaken. "As soon as the program aired, Hong-mei He and Cui Zhigang (the two news anchors who hosted the program) came to me to discuss this issue! It was also verified before the broadcast. In fact, the archaeological community has long been corrected to' stepmother Wu Ding'. " If so, is there something wrong with the textbook? Netizen "Ye Gong Lao Lang" said that this news subverted his cognition. "I was misled by textbooks 10 years." In response, the website of the National Museum responded on June 5438+February last year 18: "When this tripod was first named, experts interpreted its inscription as' Simuwu'. With the discovery of more bronzes of the same period, experts now think it should be interpreted as' stepmother Wu'. However, due to the extensive publicity of history textbooks in primary and secondary schools, the names of Simu Wuding and Simu Wuding are relatively famous at present. " Henan Business Daily reporter inquired about the website of China National Museum (official beta version). In the introduction of the collection, the bronze generous tripod named "stepmother Wu Ding" is indeed the "Si Mu Wu Ding" in the textbook. It is reported that this tripod is the heaviest bronze found in China at present, and the word "stepmother E" is cast on its abdomen, which was cast by Zu Geng or Zujia in Shang Dynasty as a sacrifice to its mother. At present, Yin Ruins still use the name "Muswuding", which was found in a farmland in Anyang. Ms. Yang, a staff member of the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, said that she had never heard of the name "Wuding". In order to facilitate mutual communication and publicity, the name "Muswuding" is used in the information introduction and publicity manual about this tripod at present. "Now the imitations placed in the Yinxu Museum in Anyang are also marked with this title." Ms. Yang said that when the application for the Yin Ruins was successful, the tripod was exhibited in Yin Ruins Museum for two years. [2] Experts suggested that the academic circle be renamed "stepmother Wu Ding". Yesterday afternoon, Ms. Yang consulted Yue Hongbin from Anyang Archaeological Team, Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Ms. Yang said that experts believe that the fonts in Shang Dynasty are relatively free, and they can be written straight or backwards. So "Si" and "Hou" are the same, and the meaning here is closer to "Hou". Because the Muswuding is a memorial to the king's mother (Wu Ming). More people in academic circles agree with Hou. "At present, there is no conclusion in academic circles, so both names can be used." Ms. Yang said. Tian Kai, vice president of Henan Museum, said that people have always called it "Simu Wuding". With the deepening of the study of Shang civilization, some archaeologists believe that it should be renamed "Queen Wuding". If most experts think that the name should be changed, the museum will adapt to the needs of the public. [3] Attitude of the Education Committee The Ministry of Education is revising the teaching materials.
The reporter called the Beijing Publishing Group, which is responsible for the compilation and publication of the Beijing version of primary and secondary school textbooks. The editor-in-chief said that they already knew about it and would consider it when the textbook was revised. The revision of teaching materials needs the consultation of the Municipal Education Commission and other departments.
The relevant person in charge of the Basic Education Department of the Municipal Education Commission said that the revision of textbooks in the compulsory education stage is the responsibility of the relevant departments of the Ministry of Education. At present, the Ministry of Education is revising. If it involves the revision of textbooks, the relevant departments of the Ministry of Education will consider it. [2]
Editor's Note: 20 1 1 On March 26th, 2008, the exhibit "Empress Wuding" of Ancient Bronze Art in China was publicly exhibited. Following the opening of the basic exhibition "Road to Rejuvenation" to the public, the newly expanded Xinguobo will open six free exhibitions to the public today. Among them is "stepmother Wu Ding", which has aroused concern and controversy recently. This exhibition is the first time that the national treasure is exhibited under the new name of "stepmother Wu Ding". It is a "naked exhibition" without a glass display case. [4]
Edit this paragraph to read the introduction of this series.
China National Museum has pictures of Wu Ding's stepmother.
Height: 133cm
Mouth length: 1 12cm.
Mouth width: 79.2 cm
Use: cooking utensils
Period: Late Shang Dynasty (about 14 ~ 1 1 century BC)
Unearthed time: 1939
Unearthed address: The bronze Fang Ding unearthed in Wuguan Village, Anyang City, Henan Province (once called "Simu Wuding") was named after the inscription "stepmother Wu" was cast on the inner wall of the abdomen. "Stepmother Wu" is the temple name of the mother of a Shang king. This device has thick vertical ears (one of which is equipped with a back), folded along the wide side, straight wall, deep abdomen and flat bottom, rectangular abdomen with four hollow columns under it. The ear of the device is decorated with a series of embossed fish patterns, which are connected end to end. The outside of the ear is decorated with embossed Shuang Hu cannibal head pattern. There are short ridges protruding in the middle and four corners of the abdominal wall, and the periphery of the abdomen is decorated with gluttonous patterns, all of which are located in Yun Leiwen. The upper end of the foot is decorated with embossed gluttonous patterns, and the lower lining is lined with concave strings. This ship is huge, majestic and solemn, weighing 832.84 kilograms. It is the heaviest bronze ware in the pre-Qin period in China.
The inner wall of the abdomen is cast with the word "stepmother E". The font is rich and plump, the strokes are peaked at the beginning and end, and the fat pen is used occasionally. This tripod was used by the Shang King to worship his mother "E". The shape is heavy and elegant, magnificent, beautifully decorated and the casting process is superb. It is also the largest bronze ritual vessel in Shang Dynasty.
Stepmother Wu Ding was unearthed in March 1939 in Wuguan Village, Anyang, Henan Province. After that, after suffering, she escaped the plunder of the Japanese invaders. After the founding of New China, she has been kept in the Museum of Chinese History (now the National Museum of China).
Stepmother Wu Ding's casting process is very complicated. According to the observation of casting traces, the tripod body and four feet are integrally cast. The tripod body is made of 8 pottery sculptures, each tripod foot is made of 3 pottery sculptures, and the bottom and inside of the tripod are made of 4 pottery sculptures. The tripod ears are cast after the tripod body is cast. Casting this tripod requires 1000 kilograms of metal raw materials. Moreover, there are a series of complex technical problems in the process of making such a large-scale object, such as molding clay molds, copying pottery molds, pouring together, etc., and at the same time, a large melting furnace must be equipped. The casting of Wu Ding, the stepmother, fully shows that the bronze casting in the late Shang Dynasty was not only large-scale, but also well-organized and meticulous in division of labor, showing the production scale and outstanding technical achievements of the bronze casting industry in Shang Dynasty, which was enough to represent the highly developed bronze culture in Shang Dynasty.
In addition, through qualitative analysis of spectrum and quantitative analysis of precipitation method of chemical analysis, the stepmother Wuding contains 84.77% of copper, 2.79% of lead 1 1.64% of lead, which is basically consistent with the proportion of copper and tin recorded in Ding in Zhu Shi Book of Warring States, from which we can see the inherent inheritance of ancient bronze civilization in China.