Tripod (ding)

Ceramics in Bronze Shapes

During the Zhou dynasty there was a trend in burials to replace ritual bronzes with replicas in other materials. The most common material was earthenware. A number of factors contributed to this development, including changes in ritual practices, the belief that models could be as effective in the afterworld as originals, strain on the bronze supply caused by the proliferation of members of the hereditary clans who had the right to elaborate burials, and changes in attitudes toward the sacredness of bronze.