Luo Zhenyu recorded in his book (1930, vol. 3, p. 35) that according to Zhao Xinchen, an antique dealer from Liulichang, Beijing, around 120 bronze vessels were excavated from a hoard at the Ren village in the 16th year of Guangxu (1890), including sets of Zhong Yi Fu ding, Ke ding and Ke zhong. More recent research findings (see Zhou Ya, 2017, pp 307 and 308) have suggested that this group of bronzes was already excavated by the 15th year of Guangxu (1889). In the 1970s, Luo Xizhang interviewed Ren Dengxiao from the Ren village, who confirmed that this Western Zhou hoard was discovered by his grandfather, Ren Zhiyuan (see Luo Xizhang, 1993, p. 57).

The most important discoveries from the Ren village hoard are the ‘Ke’ vessels, including the famous Da Ke ding and Xiao Ke ding, and the ‘Zhong Yi Fu’ vessels, which include two sets of ding, each comprising five vessels of the same form (see Zhang Tianen, 2016, nos 362-371). The present ding and four other vessels are inscribed with a seventeen-character inscription. The other set of five ding are each inscribed with a shorter version of six characters. Both sets of Zhong Yi Fu ding were dispersed and are now mostly preserved in major museums in China: five are in the Shanghai Museum and three are in the Palace Museum, Beijing. The whereabouts of one ding are unknown. In addition to the two ding sets, other vessels from the ‘Zhong Yi Fu’ group include two xu, whose locations are unknown, and two ling, which are also in the collection of the Shanghai Museum. The present ding is currently the only ‘Zhong Yi Fu’ vessel available in private hands.

The seventeen-character inscription on the present ding may be translated as ‘Zhong Yi Fu made this precious vessel for xinke, for the eternal use of sons and grandsons, Hua’. According to Wei Xinying (2019, p. 130), xinke (new guests) can be interpreted as qinke (close guests), which suggests this vessel was likely made by Zhong Yi Fu to host banquets for close members of the clan or associated officials. The last character Hua is a clan symbol, which indicates that Zhong Yi Fu belonged to the Hua clan. Zhong Yi Fu’s name follows closely the male naming tradition of a Western Zhou aristocrat, which usually consists of three characters. The first character identifies the seniority within the family, followed by the zi of the person and ending with the fu character (see Yang Kuan, 2003, p. 438).

Ke came from a prominent aristocratic family in the Western Zhou dynasty. According to the research by Wei Xinying, Ke’s great grandfather, Shi Hua Fu, also known as Li Ji, held the high official position of shi (marshal) at the Zhou court. He humbly served the Zhou king and was empowered to relay the king’s royal orders, a privilege strictly reserved for the king’s most trusted personnel. Ke’s grandfather and father were Kao Bo and Hou Zhong, respectively, both of whom likely also served as the shi of the kingdom. Ke’s official career greatly benefited from the contributions of his ancestors. He first served as the shi and later was appointed to the position of shanfu in charge of the king’s meals at the royal court. Like his great grandfather, Ke was also granted the responsibility of relaying the king’s orders, which clearly indicates his prestigious status within the central Zhou government (2019, pp 118-126 and 143).

There has been much debate about the period during which Ke lived in the Western Zhou dynasty. Ma Chengyuan believes Ke was from the time of King Xiao (1988, p. 217). His opinion is supported by Chen Peifen (2004, p. 242). Chen Mengjia, on the other hand, argues that Ke lived during the period of King Yi (2004, p. 263). Guo Moruo proposes that Ke lived during both the periods of King Yi and King Li (1935, p. 111b.). Tang Lan suggests that Ke's life coincided with the reigns of King Li and King Xuan (1985, p. 124). In his article, Zhou Ya challenges both the ‘King Xiao’ and ‘King Yi’ theories and concludes that he agrees more with the ‘King Li’ theory while acknowledging its limitations (2017, pp 309-315). The most recent research on this topic is by Wei Xinying. Wei analyzes in detail both the decoration and form of the vessels from the ‘Ke’ set, and further examines the cyclical information from the inscriptions on the related ‘Ke’ vessels. In conclusion, Wei suggests that Ke was from the period of King Xuan (2019, pp 118-121 and 143).

The present ding has had an incredible journey following its initial discovery over 130 years ago. It first entered the collection of Duan Fang (1861-1911), one of the most important political figures of the late Qing dynasty and a major collector of archaic bronzes. After Duan’s death, the ding was acquired by Yamanaka & Co. and was included in the company’s 1923 exhibition in Osaka, Japan. It later entered the collection of the art dealer Jan W.A. Kleijkamp, whose inventory was purchased by the New York art dealer Harold G. Wacker. When Chen Mengjia traveled to North America as a visiting scholar in the 1940s, he visited Wacker in New York and selected a group of 30 bronzes, including the present ding, for his book. The inscription on this vessel has also been extensively published by major scholars and collectors since the late Qing dynasty.

Duan Fang (1861-1911).

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 21 September 2021