The bronze Ding with beast mask design was unearthed at Xingan Dayangzhou Shang dynasty tomb in Jiangxi province in 1989. [File photo/IC]

The "four-footed double-deck pottery Ding" unearthed at the Chaoduntou site in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Neolithic age. The craftsmanship of making "Wen Ding" matured in the Bronze Age. The bronze Ding from Shang and Zhou dynasties took on different shapes and structures. The bronze Ding with a beast mask design, unearthed at Xingan Dayangzhou Shang dynasty tomb in Jiangxi province in 1989, is a typical example. The Ding even has an interior layer to place charcoals to keep food warm.