Chinese Copper Pot with 3 legs (green patina)

Recorded history in China begins with the Shang dynasty. Scholars today argue about when the dynasty began, with opinions ranging from the mid-18th to the mid-16th century B.C.E. Regardless of the dates, one event more than any other signaled the advent of the Shang dynasty — the Bronze Age.

It was during the Shang dynasty that bronze working became common. Thousands of artifacts from the ruins of Yin, the last capital of the Shang, were unearthed in the late 1920s and '30s. Bronze vessels for drinking were used in ritual ceremonies, while bronze chariots and axes were used in battle. As the metal was associated with royalty, the tombs of Shang kings contained hundreds of small bronze objects, even including hairpins

Ding (Chinese: 鼎, dǐng), formerly romanized as ting, were prehistoric and ancient Chinese cauldrons, standing upon legs with a lid and two facing handles. They were made in two shapes: round vessels with three legs and rectangular ones with four. They were used for cooking, storage, and ritual offerings to the gods or to ancestors. 

I won't even try and pretend I can put a price on this.. If it is real, and I think it is.. it could mean you can retire now.. Please  get a Appraiser here and pay for it. also send a photo the www.christies.com  

If you find out this is worth $500.000, its ok with me if you send me a kick back,,(I'm making a funny)..Good Luck

think its an insence pot