The Great Ding of Ke (bronze tripod for rites) was unearthed in Famen county, Shaanxi province. It was donated by Ms. Pan Dayu to the Shanghai Museum at its inception in 1951 and has been treasured by the museum ever since.
The tripod, which dates back to the end of the 11th century BC, is boldly decorated with abstract motifs and bears a lengthy inscription of 290 characters on its interior. This inscription represents the masterful calligraphy of ancient China and provides detailed information on the political and economic situation of its time.