Dimensions: Overall height: 22.8cm; Diameter: 19.8cm

Origin: Unearthed at Hejiawan, Xiangxiang in 1982

Ding is a cooking vessel. Historical records and archaeological discoveries proove that ding is at the core of ancient ceremonial vessels in the Central Plain. Different  amounts of ding represent different identity and status. This ding was unearthed from Xiangxiang together with a group of common bronze ceremonial vessels of the Chu. Because this ding, compared with those from Chu area, has a different shape, archaeologists believe it belongs to the ancient Yue people. Although the bronze ceremonial vessels of the Yue have no strict system for ceremonial vessels like that of the Central Plain, ding is a very important archaeological discovery. The loop handles of the ding are buffalo horn shaped. Similar ones have been discovered in Xiangxiang and Ningxiang. The cover of this ding is flat shaped and exactly fits in the concave clips at the loop handles. The ding with flat cover is not seen much now. Maybe it was a featured ding in the region of Xiangjiang River.