Four Common Questions about Jade Suit

When did the Jade Suit disappear?

　　For it is a symbol of the royal, there are very high standards of the workmanship for the suit - making . The governors of the Han Dynasty set a special organization named “ Dong yuan ” which specialized in the suit-making .　The 　coat of making one medium sized Jade Suit is higher than the total value of 100 middle-class families’ possessions. Till the Three Kingdoms Period, one of the kings named Caopi (　the son of Caocao　) set up new rules of the funeral that there would be no more jade suit for funerals.

Does it only appear in China?

　　The answer is yes　. There was a report that 1000 mummies were found wearing the Gold Wire Jade Suits, but the mummies were just gold-painted　, so thoes were not the real Gold Wire Jade Suits. China is the only country that has the technique of jade sculpturing, and the Han Dynasty is the prevailing period of jade sculpturing　. The ex-librarian of Hunan Museum Xiong Chuanxin said that there were carvings on the jade pieces.

Who designed the Gold Wire Jade Suits?

　　No historical evidence can show who is the designer.

Which Jade Suit is the most valuable one?

　　At present there is eighteen mausoleum in our country in which we found jade suit, but among them there are only eight mausoleum where 　we found the jade suit is sewn with gold wire　. It consists of 2498 jade pieces connected by more than 1000gram gold wire and 　it took hundreds of artisans more than two years to compete it　. The whole suit may be rated as a good piece of fine work of art　. This jade suit caused a stir when it　 is found in 1968.

　　Since liberation we have found more than ten jade suits in　 the 　mausoleum　 of Han Dynasty　: Zhongshan Jingwang Liusheng’s in Western Han Dynasty and his wife Douguan’s jade suit; Zhongshan Xiaowang Liuxing’s from Ding County; Pengcheng Jingwang Liugong’s from Xunzhou of the Jiangsu province; Cao Cao's patriarchal clan’s in last year Eastern Han Dynasty from Anhui Province Bo county　. Only 　five 　pieces 　has 　been 　recoverd completely　.　Take 　the　 two pieces from the Mancheng mausoleum of Han Dynasty 　as an example　.　 The jade suit of Liusheng　’s consist of 2498 jade pieces and 1100gram gold thread . Douguan ’s consist of 　2160 jade pieces and 700gram gold thread . 　It 　takes astonishing manpower and physical resource to manufacture them.