铜鼎也是统治政治权利的重要象征，人们把它视为镇国之宝和传国之宝，历史记载天子九鼎，诸侯七鼎，卿大夫五鼎，士三鼎或一鼎。鼎和其他青铜器上的铭文记载了商周时代的典章制度和册封、祭祀、征伐等史实，而且把西周时期的大篆文字传给了后世，形成了具有很高审美价值的金文书法艺术，鼎也因此更加身价不凡，成为比其他青铜器更为重要的历史。首鼎是我国目前发现刻铭长的一件战国器物，十分珍贵，九鼎的使用，反映出中国政治制度已经汉化，采用了中原大国的礼制，同也有力地证明中山国已跻身于强国之列。

  对于同类器物器形的鉴定，即使同一类型的铜器，也有可能出现的时间不同，形体也也会有很大变化，这也是断定器物年代和真伪的重要依据，铜器作伪方法有以下几种：全器均系伪器。此器也为商代流行的觚爵酒器组合过渡到西周流行的鼎簋鬲组合作了应证，表明当时社会风俗正在经历着重大变革。器真铭文伪。器真纹饰伪。器真铭文、纹饰皆伪。铭文真器伪，器身有真有伪。一件器物由两件或者三件真器部分残片拼凑而成。器身真，但其他附件伪等，这些需要我们从器物类别特征、年代、时代风格不同方面综合的去分析。

  司母戊鼎是我国商代青铜器的代表作，造型厚重典雅，气势宏大，纹饰美观庄重。母戊鼎标志着商代青铜器铸造技艺已达到相当高的水平。

铜鼎铸造厂

方格纹铜鼎，夏代青铜鼎，1975年出土于洛阳偃师二里头遗址，该鼎通高20厘米，口径15.3厘米，底径10厘米，其造型和纹饰风格与中原龙山文化晚期的陶鼎几乎完全一致，但材质却是当时罕见的——青铜。

The coffered bronze ding, a bronze ding of xia dynasty, was unearthed in erlitou site of luoyang yanshi city in 1975. The ding has a height of 20 cm, a diameter of 15.3 cm and a bottom diameter of 10 cm. Its shape and decorative style are almost exactly the same as the pottery ding in the late period of longshan culture in the plains, but its material is the rare precious metal at that time -- bronze.

关于“鼎”的来历及作用：鼎本来是古代的烹饪之器，相当于现在的锅，用以炖煮和盛放鱼肉。鼎在现在有着广泛应用，已成为公司信誉，能力的标志，是公司开业、企业上市的礼品，如“中华世纪鼎”、“和谐鼎”、“汇丰鼎”等。许慎在《说文解字》里说：“鼎，三足两耳，和五味之宝器也。”有三足圆鼎，也有四足方鼎。早的鼎是黏土烧制的陶鼎，后来又有了用青铜铸造的铜鼎。传说夏禹曾收九牧之金铸九鼎于荆山之下，以象征九州，让人们警惕，防止被其伤害。自从有了禹铸九鼎的传说，鼎就从一般的炊器而发展为传国重器。国灭则鼎迁，夏朝灭，商朝兴，九鼎迁于商都亳（bó）京；商朝灭，周朝兴，九鼎又迁于周都镐（hào）京。

About the origin and function of "Ding": Ding was originally an ancient cooking utensil, equivalent to the pot now, used for stewing and filling fish. Xu Shen said in Shuowen Jiezi: "Ding, three feet and two ears, and five fl***ors of the treasure also." There are three-legged round tripod and four-legged square tripod. The earliest tripod was pottery tripod made of clay, and later bronze tripod. Legend has it that Xia Yu once took Jiu Mu's gold and cast Jiu Ding under Jingshan Mountain to symbolize Jiuzhou, so that people are alert to ***oid being hurt by it. Since the legend of Yuzhu Jiuding came into being, the tripod has evolved from a common cooker to a traditional he***y one. When the state was destroyed, Ding moved, Xia Dynasty was destroyed, Shang Dynasty was prosperous, Jiuding moved to the capital of Shang Du Bo (b); when the Shang Dynasty was destroyed, Zhou Dynasty was prosperous, and Jiuding moved to the capital of Zhou Du Ho (h o).