The Great Cauldron was unearthed in Li Village, Meixian County, Shaanxi Province during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. This tripod was cast during the Western Zhou Dynasty in the mid-11th century BC. It is one of the largest bronze vessels from the Western Zhou Dynasty ever seen. There are 291 words of inscriptions cast on the inner wall of the belly of the tripod, which record the historical fact that King Kang of Zhou appointed the nobles in September of the 23rd year of the tripod.
The large pot has upright ears, a round belly and three strong legs. The lower edge of the mouth is decorated with a band of Taotie patterns, and the feet are cast with animal faces and have ribs and string patterns. This is a typical style of large bronze tripods in the early Western Zhou Dynasty.
Significance of cultural relics
The large tripod has a majestic shape and exquisite craftsmanship. There are 19 lines of inscriptions cast on the inner wall, which are important historical materials for studying the slavery system of the Western Zhou Dynasty. There is an inscription on the inner wall of the Big Yu tripod with 291 characters. The content is: The king of Zhou warned Yu (name of the person) that the Yin Dynasty died of alcoholism, while the Zhou Dynasty prospered by avoiding alcohol. Ming Yu must try his best to assist him. Respect King Chengwen and King Wu’s virtuous government.
His calligraphy style is rigorous, the shape and layout of the calligraphy are very simple and plain, and the pen is both square and round, with a solemn and solemn artistic effect. He was the first to create the "Zhang Qian Monument" and "Longmen Statue". In terms of calligraphy achievements, the Great Meng Ding ranked first in the Chengkang era and is a representative work of gold calligraphy in the early Western Zhou Dynasty.