鼎 Radical 206 — a bronze ritual tripod; a cauldron of state
dǐng (third tone, dipping)
a bronze ritual tripod; a cauldron of state
Radical 20613 strokes0 characters
Where the shape comes from
An ornate bronze ritual vessel, two handles rising from the rim and legs planted beneath a rounded body — cast for cooking sacrificial meat at the most solemn state ceremonies, and by extension the great symbol of legitimate rule itself, embodied in the legendary Nine Tripods that marked their holder as the rightful sovereign. It gives 鼎盛, at the very height of power or prosperity, and 三足鼎立, a three-way balance of power, literally three legs of a tripod standing.
characters filed under 鼎
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