The Simuwu Rectangle Tripod, the Biggest Piece of Bronze Ware(司母戊大方鼎)

In 1939 a bronze Tripod-an ancient cooking vessel with two loop handles and three or four legs-was unearthed in Anyang, Henan Province. The four legged Tripod, known as the Simuwu Rectangle Tripod, was so big and heavy that it could not be moved after being unearthed (even though Japanese invaders tried on several occasions). To protect the rare cultural relic, local people reburied it and then unearthed it again after the war in 1945. The Simuwu Rectangle Tripod is now at the National Museum of Chinese History.
Simuwu Rectangle Tripod is 110 cm long and 78 cm wide, its sides are six cm thick and the loop handles are 133 cm high. The whole Tripod weighs 832 kilograms and is the heaviest piece of bronze ware in the world. The casting of this huge bronze vessel consists of over 1, 000 kilograms of metal and required 70 to 80 craftsmen to work on it. It is the biggest bronze ware unearthed in China and a treasure of the world's bronze ware collection.
Though the Tripod is big and heavy, its workmanship is exquisite. The relief of Kui (a one-legged mythical animal) was carved on four sides of the Tripod. The animal figures are portrayed with artistic exaggeration and create a ferocious, mysterious and dignified mood.
Tripods were used in the Chinese primitive society as cooking utensils. Initially they were made of clay, but as metallurgy emerged and developed, bronze was used instead at the end of Shang Dynasty some 3, 000 years ago. By that time, tripods had become sacrificial vessels symbolizing the owners power and wealth.
The Simuwu Rectangle Tripod reveals a high level of casting technique and artistry. It represents the highest casting achievements of Shang Dynasty. According to archeologists, the King of Shang Dynasty had the Simuwu Rectangle Ding made to commemorate his mother.