Simu Wuding, also known as the Shang Houmu Wuding, Simu Wu Dafang Ding, is a casting in the late Shang period (about the 14th century BC to the 11th century BC). In 1939, it was unearthed in Wuguan Village, Anyang City, Henan Province, and is now stored in the basic exhibition hall of "Ancient China" of the National Museum of China. As the heaviest bronze ware in ancient China, Simu Wuding shows the outstanding achievements of the bronze culture of the Shang Dynasty with its huge shape, exquisite craftsmanship and rich cultural connotation.
Simu Wuding is 133 cm high, 110 cm long, 79 cm wide, and weighs 83284 kg. Its shape is thick and heavy, the ears are folded, the abdomen is rectangular, and the lower bearing is four column feet. The four corners of the abdomen, the middle of the upper and lower edges, and the upper part of the foot are all placed on the edges, so that the lines of the whole body are clear and the structure is rigorous. The body is surrounded by delicate dragon patterns and gluttonous patterns, which not only add to the majesty and solemnity of the cultural relics themselves, but also reflect the exquisite skills and rich imagination of the craftsmen of the Shang Dynasty.
It is worth mentioning that the casting process of Simu Wuding is very exquisite. The tripod body and four legs are cast as a whole, and the tripod lug is cast after the tripod body is cast. This process of splitting and co-casting was very advanced at the time, showing the excellent level of bronze casting technology in the Shang Dynasty.
The inner wall of the abdomen of Simu Wuding is cast with the three words of "Houmu Wu", the font gesture is strong, the shape is plump, the beginning and end of the strokes are more than the peak is exposed, and the fat pen is used intermittently. This unique style of calligraphy embodies the unique charm of the Shang Dynasty Jinwen, and has also had a profound impact on the development of calligraphy art in later generations.
Simu Wuding is a representative work of bronze casting in the late Shang Dynasty, which fully illustrates that bronze casting at that time was not only large-scale, but also tightly organized and meticulously divided. Its excavation provides valuable material for us to understand the bronze culture of the Shang Dynasty, and it is also enough to represent the highly developed bronze culture of the Shang Dynasty.
On January 18, 2002, Simu Wuding was listed in the "Catalogue of the First Batch of Cultural Relics Prohibited from Leaving the Country" by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage as a national first-class cultural relic, which further highlighted its important position in Chinese cultural history.
In general, Simu Wuding is a treasure of ancient Chinese bronze culture, which shows the outstanding achievements of Shang Dynasty bronze culture with its huge shape, exquisite craftsmanship and rich cultural connotation. As a national first-class cultural relic, it is not only a witness of history, but also a treasure of Chinese culture, which is worthy of our in-depth study and appreciation.