Date: Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC)
Provenance: Unearthed from a tomb in Xiasi, Xichuan, Henan province, 1978
Measurements: Height: 49 cm, Mouth diameter: 58.3 cm

The bronze ding is a ritual vessel used to cook meat during sacrificial ceremonies. It often comes with a ladle for scooping meat out of the cauldron.

Prince Ziwu was the son of King Zhuang of the Chu State. The inscription, identical in the lid and on the inner wall of the vessel, consists of 83 characters, and translates as "Prince Ziwu casts this food vessel for offering sacrifices to our ancestors and for swearing ceremonies of forming alliance. Because of my benevolent rule, I am loved and respected by all the people of the Chu State. It is hoped that later generations will regard this as the standard of their conduct and behaviour."