Tripod Caldron (Ding)

In the sixth and fifth centuries B.C., bands of continuously entwined dragons became the hallmark of a new decorative style. This style of flat, interlaced ornament, combining profile heads and snakelike trunks, came to be known as "Liyu" after the town in northern China where a hoard of similar bronzes purportedly came to light in 1923.

The source of these bronzes remained unknown until 1957, when archaeologists working at the Jin state capital of Houma (southwest of Liyu) discovered thousands of pieces of foundry debris—most importantly, fragmentary clay blocks that were carved with intricate surface designs and then baked. These hard, reusable"pattern blocks," were used as die-stamps to impress patterns in clay piece-mold assemblies and thereby facilitated the mass production of identical décor. The surface design of this vessel closely corresponds with that seen in pattern blocks found at Houma. Those finds point to Houma as the almost certain place of manufacture of this vessel, which was used for cooking food.