Ancient bronze ding cauldron with elongated legs

Here is the "supermodel" of ancient bronze ding (cooker) – the Taibao ding. With its elegantly elongated legs decorated with discs, intricate banana leaf and taotie beast motifs on the body, and twin beasts perched on its upright handles, this Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC) bronze ding is one of the treasures of Tianjin Museum.

Inside the vessel, a three-character inscription "Da Bao Zhu" (Chinese: 大保铸, meaning: cast by Dabao/Taibao) reveals its owner, a high-ranking official known as Taibao. It's one of the seven bronzes unearthed from Shandong's Liangshan in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and the only one still in China today.