Shi Qiang pan
The Shi Qiang pan (史墻盤; "Basin of Scribe Qiang"), also called the Qiang pan (墻盤), is an ancient Chinese bronze pan vessel (basin). Dated to the end of the 10th century BCE, it is inscribed with a text that has been described as "the first conscious attempt in China to write history."[1][2]
Low and round with two handles, the vessel is 16.2 cm tall, with a diameter of 47.3 cm. Its exterior is cast with a taotie design. It is regarded as a national treasure, and in 2002 it was listed as one of sixty-four cultural relics prohibited from leaving Chinese soil.[3] The basin is kept at the Baoji Bronze Ware Museum.
History[]
The Shi Qiang pan was cast sometime during the reign of King Gong of Zhou (r. −917/15 to −900[4]) for a member of the Wēi clan (