ding

ding, type of ancient Chinese cooking or holding vessel, usually with two handles on the rim, that is supported by three or four columnar legs.

Two variations of the ding include the li-ding, which has a slight swelling of the bowl as it joins each of the legs (similar in effect to the li), and the fang-ding, which, however illogical, is a “square tripod,” with a square or rectangular box resting on four legs. The characteristic decoration on these vessels—often large taotie, or monster masks—exploits the ample shape and surface of the bowl, although the legs generally have minimal ornamentation.

The ding, with many variations of silhouette, was present in virtually all early ages of China, including in pottery ware from the Neolithic Period (c. 5000–2000 bc) and bronzes from the Shang (18th–12th century bc) and Zhou (1111–256/255 bc) dynasties, as well as in the bronze and glazed pottery imitations of many later periods. The ding was often used in divinatory ceremonies for sacrificial offerings, or it was buried with its owner in a tomb as a spiritual utensil (mingqi). The number of ding a person owned was determined by his rank in the social and political hierarchy.