Mao Gong Ding, a bronze vessel from the late Western Zhou Dynasty. Named after the craftsman Mao Gong, it was unearthed in Qishan, Shaanxi Province (now Qishan County, Baoji City) in the 23rd year of the Qing Dynasty’s Daoguang reign (1843). After the discovery of the Mao Gong Ding, it was repeatedly sold and kept in secret. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the risk was taken by the Japanese military. After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the people offered tripods to the public, which are now housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
The Maogong Ding is known as the treasure of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. It has 32 lines and a total of 499 characters of inscriptions cast inside its belly, which is a complete book of divination in the late Western Zhou Dynasty and the longest inscription among the discovered Shang and Zhou bronze wares. The inscription inside the cauldron first recounts the historical achievements of King Wen and King Wu of Zhou, and then goes on to talk about the current turmoil in the four directions and the decline of the royal family. King Xuan of Zhou warned Duke Mao to be diligent in assisting the king, consolidating the cause of the previous king, and finally rewarded Duke Mao with fine wine, jade artifacts, chariots and horses, soldiers, and uniforms.
Mao Gongding is a “historical diary” from the late Western Zhou Dynasty, which is an important material for studying the political history of that time. Through these precious historical materials, more people can understand and experience the shared historical and cultural heritage between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The national spirit it embodies, such as reverence for ancestors, loyalty to the country, and cultural inheritance, is a common spiritual wealth of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Nowadays, Mao Gong Ding has become one of the treasures of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Placed in the most prominent position of the Shang and Zhou bronze exhibition hall, it quietly welcomes visitors from both sides of the Taiwan Strait as an irreplaceable exhibit.
