As a symbol of class, jade suits were used as garments for deceased emperors and nobility in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), which fitted to the wearer's shape. The emperor wore the garment sewn with golden thread, and kings and princess wore silver ones, while other officials and nobles had ones sewn with copper threads, which were called Jade Clothes Sewn With Silver Thread, and Jade Clothes Sewn With Copper Thread, respectively.
People in the Han Dynasty believed that jade had absorbed the excellence of mountains, so jade was put on the dead body of the deceased to preserve the body for the after life. Therefore, jade suit plays an important role in jade articles. Up to now, over twenty jade suits have been discovered in China, among which the Jade Clothes Sewn With Golden Thread of Liu Sheng, Duke Zhongshan in the Han Dynasty is the earliest and finest.
This 188 cm long Jade Clothes Sewn With Golden Thread was unearthed in the Tomb of the Duke Zhongshan, in Mancheng County, Hebei Province, north of China in 1968. Composed of six parts, the hood, coat, sleeves, gloves, trousers and shoots with altogether 2,498 pieces of jade and 1,100 grams of gold thread, the jade suit has eye covers, nose stopples and covers for the reproductive organ and the anus. The whole suit was rimmed by red thread with iron rim on the trouser legs particularly for fixation. The face cover was carved with holes in the form of eyes, nose and mouth. The suit is broader in the chest and back, and bulging in the hips, completely fit to the various parts of the body.
The jade suit was delicately designed, with jade slices orderly lined and harmoniously colored, reflecting the excellent techniques of the craftsmen and the extravagant lives of the nobles. This jade suit is now collected by the Antique Research Center of Hebei Province.
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