Understanding Shang bronzes

A highly religious and ritualistic society, the Shang established their dynastic kingdom in northern China around 1600 BCE. The extraordinary emphasis placed on ancestor worship and state ritual necessitated the production of a massive numbers of bronze vessels. Ritual bronzes were essential burial objects, for they represented the power and authority that the deceased intended to take with him into the afterlife. Learn more about this ritual bronze ding from the Harvard Art Collection.


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