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Amazing Full Size Hardstone Burial Suit
About the Item
This is a full size hardstone burial suit. It was created from 1000s of small tiles made from real jade. Each piece has four holes and is tied together with wire. Some of the areas have elaborate carving in the jade. These suits have not been in use for almost to 2000 years and originals can be found on display in museums. This Han style hardstone suit is a reproduction meticulous recreation of the ancient examples now found in museums. It was probably manufactured in the later 20th century after the discovery of several important burial sites in China and subsequent museum exhibitions both in Washington DC. back in the late 70's and more recently at the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge England. This example is old but not ancient. The copper wire originally used was old enough to start failing and stronger wire was used to restore and hold large areas together. The panels are also edged with old red silk. The suit is complete with a only a handful of cracked tiles that are still in place. I can't even guess this objects age… 50, 100, 200 years? I've never seen another up close. I would think that this was put together as a historic display. The amount of work that went into this is monumental. Museums display the suit on its back. This example also comes with an elaborate welded steel frame so it can be displayed standing. Some wires holding tiles together can open when moved... I can't even count the number of hand tied joints that are involved in this display. I have had this in my collection over 20 years.
What is an ancient jade burial suit……..
Popular for 400 years before Cao Pi of the Three-Kingdoms Period imposed a ban on such suits, Chinese aristocrats and emperors of the Han Dynasty were often buried in what were known as jade caskets, or jade burial suits.
Considered top class burial suits in ancient times, jade was believed to be the essence of mountains, carrying in them the power to keep a body from decaying. While the origins of these suits dated as far back as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, it was long believed that these suits were things of myths and legends.
It was only in 1968, that these rare treasures were unearthed and since then, there have been a total of 18 tombs with jade burial suits of the Western Han dynasty discovered in China, with only eight tombs holding gold thread sewn suits.
Because of the strict requirements on technique, making a jade burial suit was no easy job. It was important that the shape of the suit was the same as the human body being covered, and in order to do this, thousands of small jade pieces of certain shapes and sizes had to be transported from far-away places. When the jade pieces were received, they were polished and drilled, with the shapes and sizes of the holes undergoing special scrutiny before specially made gold, silver, or copper threads were used to join the pieces together.
Once the suits were finished, depending on the type of thread used in them, the suit would be called, “gold thread sewn jade burial suit,” “silver thread sewn jade burial suit” or “copper thread sewn jade burial suit”.
In the official Chinese historical text known as the History of the Later Han, it was described that the thread used was dependent on the status of the person buried. Meaning that the jade suits of emperors used gold thread; princes, princesses, dukes and marquises used silver; and sons or daughters of those who got silver threaded suits received copper thread.
- Dimensions:Height: 67 in (170.18 cm)Width: 45 in (114.3 cm)Depth: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Style:Chinese Export (In the Style Of)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Late 20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Peekskill, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU88384004243
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