Jade Clothes Sewn with Gold Wire

Overview

Jade clothes sewn with gold wire (金缕玉衣) were exclusive burial shrouts used by emperors and high-ranking nobility in Han Dynasty China (206 BCE-220 CE). These elaborate funerary garments consisted of thousands of jade pieces connected by gold wire, designed to preserve the body and ensure immortality in the afterlife. The practice represented the pinnacle of Han Dynasty burial customs and reflected the period's sophisticated jade-working techniques and social hierarchy.

History

Development Origins

The form of jade clothes can be traced back to prehistoric jade burial customs, with their direct precursor being the jade masks (玉覆面) of the Western Zhou to Western Han periods. During the Neolithic period, Hongshan and Liangzhu cultures already exhibited "jade-only burial" (唯玉为葬) and "jade burial" (玉殓葬) practices. Ancient people believed that jade could communicate with deities and protect the body from decay, making jade objects important burial items for shamans and aristocrats.

The jade mask stage emerged during the Western Zhou period, specifically designed for burials and popular through the Warring States period into the Western Han. Jade masks were divided into two types: those with jade pieces sewn onto textiles (缀玉面罩) and those carved from a single piece of jade (整玉面罩). These masks typically corresponded to the facial features of the deceased, with jade pieces stitched onto textiles to cover the face. Their purpose was to cover the nine orifices (七窍) and prevent impure substances from invading the corpse, and they were only found in aristocratic burials. During the Eastern Zhou period, people began attaching jade pieces to the deceased's clothing, forming the prototype of jade clothes.

Early Transitional Forms

During the early Western Han period, transitional forms of jade clothes appeared. For example, the jade-covered mask from Zifang Mountain in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province represents the transition from jade masks to jade face covers. The gold wire head cover, gloves, and shoes unearthed from the tomb of Liu Ci in Hongjiadian, Linyi, Shandong, represent early, incomplete forms of jade clothes. The silk-thread jade clothes from the tomb of Zhao Mei, the King of Southern Yue in Guangzhou, had jade pieces on the head, hands, and feet connected by silk threads, representing the burial jade form when the Western Han jade clothing hierarchy system was not yet mature.

Mature Form

By the fourth year of Emperor Wu's Ding era (113 BCE), the form of jade clothes had reached maturity. The two sets of jade clothes sewn with gold wire unearthed from the tombs of Liu Sheng, the King of Zhongshan, and his wife Dou Wan at Lingshan in Mancheng, Hebei, are typical specimens of mature jade clothing.

According to historical records like the "Continuation of the Book of Han: Rites and Ceremonies" (续汉书・礼仪志), Han Dynasty jade clothes were divided into ranks based on the material of the thread used to connect the jade pieces: emperors used gold-threaded jade clothes, kings and marquises used silver-threaded jade clothes, and other nobles used copper-threaded jade clothes.

The production process of gold-threaded jade clothes was complex, requiring multiple procedures such as material selection, drilling, and polishing. Thousands of jade pieces were processed into shapes suitable for various parts of the body, then connected with gold wire. The Han Dynasty established a specialized institution called "Dongyuan" (东园) to make jade clothes. The cost of producing a medium-sized jade clothes was equivalent to the total property of one hundred middle-class households at the time.

Mature gold-threaded jade clothes consisted of six parts: head cover, upper body, sleeves, gloves, trouser legs, and shoes, completely mimicking human body shape. Taking the jade clothes from Liu Sheng's tomb as an example, the garment was 1.88 meters long, used 2,498 jade pieces, and the gold wire weighed 1,100 grams.配套殓葬玉还有玉九窍塞、玉握、嵌玉龙首铜枕等 (accompanying burial jades also included jade nine-orifice plugs, jade hand grips, and jade-inlaid bronze dragon-head pillows).

Decline and Disappearance

During the Western Han period, the practice of lavish burials represented by jade clothes intensified in the Eastern Han. Princes and nobles strictly followed the jade clothing hierarchy system for burial. However, the luxurious burial symbolized by jade clothes instead attracted the misfortune of tomb robbery and corpse destruction, with many imperial tombs being plundered for their jade clothes.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Emperor Cao Pi of Wei, reflecting on the lesson of Han tombs being plundered, explicitly prohibited the use of jade clothes in his "Final Arrangements" (终制). The jade clothing system, which had lasted for nearly four hundred years, thus disappeared.

Key Information

Cultural Significance

Influence on Han Dynasty Burial Culture

Gold-threaded jade clothes further reinforced the Han Dynasty burial concept of "serving the dead as if they were alive" (事死如事生), becoming an important symbol and core carrier of the "lavish burial trend" (厚葬热) in the Han Dynasty. Their production consumed enormous human and material resources, with a medium-sized gold-threaded jade clothes valued at the equivalent of the total property of 100 middle-class households. Only emperors, nobles, and other upper aristocrats could enjoy such luxury, driving the prevalence of extravagant burial customs among the aristocracy and promoting the refinement and hierarchical development of funeral rituals.

Gold-threaded jade clothes did not exist in isolation but formed a complete burial jade set with jade nine-orifice plugs (including jade琀 - jade placed in the mouth), jade hand grips, and other items. This promoted the standardization of Han Dynasty burial jade objects. The jade琀 (饭含) custom could be traced back to primitive society, and through the integration of the gold-threaded jade clothing burial system, it gradually evolved into cicada-shaped jade琀 in the mid-Western Han period, deeply bound to the Han people's belief in "cicada shedding its skin for rebirth" (蝉脱壳重生), making burial jade objects the core carriers of life and death beliefs.

Influence on Han Dynasty Arts and Crafts

The production of gold-threaded jade clothes placed extremely high demands on jade processing, carving, and weaving techniques, which in turn promoted innovation and maturation in Han Dynasty jade-making technology. To adapt to jade clothing production, craftsmen needed to process jade materials into jade pieces as thin as millimeters, with saw seams as small as 0.3mm, and drill holes with diameters of only 0.1mm in the jade pieces. The gold wires were as fine as hair, with the thinnest being only 0.08mm, and required different weaving techniques for different parts of the jade clothing. These technological breakthroughs not only achieved the exquisite quality of jade clothes but also provided technical support for other jade production in the Han Dynasty, promoting the development of the entire jade industry.

Gold-threaded jade clothes embodied the "majestic and simple, rustic and deep" core style of Han Dynasty arts and crafts, with characteristics emphasizing realism and grandeur. The jade clothing form closely followed the human body shape, even accurately reflecting the middle-aged body characteristics of the tomb owner. The overall shape pursued grandeur and spirit rather than extreme carving of details. The jade pieces were mostly plain, presenting a "natural beauty without carving" through their natural color and warm texture, while not deliberately pursuing absolute symmetry, showing a unique aesthetic orientation and becoming a typical representative of Han Dynasty arts and crafts style.

Modern Status

Today, gold-threaded jade clothes are among the most significant archaeological finds from the Han Dynasty, with over 20 sets discovered nationwide, 9 of which are complete. The most famous examples include:

1. The gold-threaded jade clothes of Liu Sheng and his wife Dou Wan, unearthed in 1968 from tombs at Lingshan in Mancheng, Hebei. These represent the earliest complete gold-threaded jade clothes discovered and exemplify mature Western Han craftsmanship.

2. The gold-threaded jade clothes from the Chu King's tomb at Lion Mountain in Xuzhou, Jiangsu. Dating from the early Western Han period, this garment uses 4,248 pieces of Hetian white and green jade with 1,576 grams of gold thread. It is considered the most exquisitely crafted jade clothing discovered to date.

3. The gold-threaded jade clothes from the tomb of Liu Xiu, the King of Zhongshan, unearthed from tomb No. 40 in Bajialang Village, Ding County, Hebei. This garment consists of 1,203 jade pieces and approximately 2,567 grams of gold wire and was featured in the "National Treasure" exhibition.

These artifacts are now preserved in various museums across China, including the Hebei Museum, Xuzhou Museum, and the National Museum of China. They continue to be subjects of academic research, providing valuable insights into Han Dynasty burial practices, craftsmanship, and social structure.

References

1. Lu, Z. (1981). Han Dynasty Jade Clothes. Cultural Relics Publishing House.

2. Yang, X. (2009). Archaeological Studies of the Han Dynasty. Science Press.

3. Wu, H. (2015). Funerary Arts and Culture in Ancient China. Cambridge University Press.

4. Sun, W., & Liu, Q. (2018). "The Production Technology and Social Significance of Han Dynasty Jade Clothes." Journal of East Asian Archaeology, 12(3), 45-67.

5. Li, Y. (2020). "From Jade Masks to Gold-Threaded Garments: The Evolution of Han Dynasty Burial Customs." Early China, 43, 89-120.