Ding are prehistoric and ancient Chinese cauldrons standing upon legs with a lid and two fancy facing handles. They are one of the most important shapes used in Chinese ritual bronzes. They were made in two shapes: round vessels with three legs and rectangular ones with four, the latter often called fāng dǐng "square ding (方鼎. They were used for cooking, storage, and ritual offerings to the gods or to ancestors.
A ding from the late Shang dynasty
Da He ding; the human face is a highly unusual decoration.
An early bronze ding of the Erlitou culture (1900–1500 BC)
Shang dynasty, 1300–1046 BC
A cauldron is a large pot (kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and folklore.
Hungarian goulash in a traditional "bogrács" (cauldron)
A cauldron over a fire in William Blake's illustrations to his mythical Europe a Prophecy first published in 1794. This version of the print is currently held by the Fitzwilliam Museum
A Bronze Age cauldron, and flesh-hook, made from sheet bronze
Sot, a Korean cauldron used to cook rice