Late Shang Dynasty, Ca. 1300-1100 BC. A bronze cauldron, generally known as a ding. The object comprises a rectangular body with a shelved rim and two horizontal handles. The upper part of the body is intricately decorated with a bas-relief cast zoomorphic pattern. The body is supported by four robust cylindrical legs with some decoration. Some restoration. This beautiful object may have been used for ritual banqueting among the aristocracy of the Late Shang Dynasty, who ruled over the lower and middle Yellow River Valley in the 2nd millennium BC. For a comparable example, see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 49.135.2. In order to confirm its authenticity, this piece has undergone X-Ray Fluorescence analysis by an independent Belgian Laboratory. The samples collected show the chemical composition to reflect the typical metal contents of the described period, whilst also showing no modern trace elements in the patina.Size: L:280mm / W:200mm; 4.23kgProvenance: East Anglian private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.