Mao Dinggong is a rare and complete treasure unearthed in Qishan, Shaanxi Province in the last years of Daoguang (1850). It was cast by Mao Gongsuo, the uncle of the West, and the inscription was cast on the tripod, with 32 lines and 497 words. This is the longest bronze inscription in existence, and it is a classic bronze inscription. Mao Dingming, the full text first traces the great achievements of the Zhou Dynasty, lamenting the current turmoil, and then describes the command of Mao Gong, appointing him to manage internal and external affairs, and having the power to announce the king's life. King Xuan repeatedly taught Mao Gong to be diligent and love the people, cultivate one's morality and cultivate one's character, and gave him some utensils to show his encouragement. Mao Gong was cast on a tripod to commemorate and spread to future generations.
Ding Ming expressed Zhou Xuanwang's determination to be diligent, which has important reference value for studying the political history of the late Western Zhou Dynasty and is also a model of calligraphy. Mr. Guo Moruo called this magnificent masterpiece "worthy of going down in history". Moreover, it is not only an important historical material in content, but also has a high aesthetic value in art. The inscription is rigorous in brushwork, full in lines and solemn in structure, so that calligraphers in the late Qing Dynasty have been fascinated by it since it was unearthed. Li Ruiqing, a famous calligrapher in the late Qing Dynasty, once said: "Mao is the regular script of Zhousi, and his regular script is Shangshu; Learning books does not learn from Mao Dinggong, and Confucian scholars do not read history. "
Mao Dinggong was transported to Beijing by Shaanxi antique dealer Su in the second year of Xianfeng (1852), and was edited by the Hanlin Academy and co-edited by the National History Museum. It was bought by the famous engraver Chen Jieqi for three years. Mao has been collected by Chen for 30 years. Chen's other collections are willing to be made public, printed into catalogues and displayed to the world. Only the hair handle is deeply locked and kept secret.
After Chen died, Chen's descendants continued to hide for 20 years. At the beginning of the 20th century, relying on his power, the Governor of Liangjiang sent people to Chen Jialai, gave them a tripod for three days and bought it by force. A few years after Mao Dinggong arrived in Duanfu, Duanfang was stabbed to death by the new army in the Sichuan Railway Protection Movement. Later, Duan Fang's daughter married Yuan Jia in Xiangcheng, Henan Province, and Duan Fang wanted to take Mao as a dowry, but Yuan Jia dared not accept it. Therefore, the descendants of Duanfang mortgaged Ding to Huae Daosheng Bank in Tianjin. However, after the decline of his family wealth, many bronzes collected by Duan's family were sold by his brother Americans, and Ding could not be redeemed in the mortgage.
During the period of 19 19- 1920, an American businessman wanted to invest $50,000 to buy wool. As soon as the news came out, domestic public opinion was in an uproar. After knowing this, the great collector, who used to be the chief financial officer and transportation director, decided to compete with the Americans and try his best to keep Ding in China. At first, Ye urged powerful people in China to buy it. Later, there were rumors that Ye wanted to get something from it. In a rage, Ye sold some other cultural relics and simply bought them himself. So Mao He came again and stayed for more than ten years, first at his home in Tianjin, and then moved to Shanghai.
On the eve of the end of the Anti-Japanese War, Ye Gongchuo experienced several changes, suffering from poverty and illness, and was unable to protect Ding. Chen Yongren, a big businessman in Shanghai, expressed his willingness to buy this tripod and sign a contract to donate it to the country after his victory. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War 1946, Chen Ruru donated Baoding to the then Nanjing government, which was collected by the preparatory office of the former Central Museum. On the eve of liberation, he was taken to Taiwan Province Province and is now in the bronze exhibition hall of the Palace Museum.