Mawangdui Han Tombs Mǎwángduī Hàn Mù 马王堆汉墓

◀ Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huangdi Comprehensive index starts in volume 5, page 2667.

Three tombs of the Western Han dynasty Dai has survived more than two thousand years. In the (206 b c e – 220 ce) have been discovered at four compartments of the outer coffin (guo) were four- Mawangdui in the eastern suburb of Chang- teen hundred burial goods, including bamboo objects and sha in Hunan Province. They belonged to the strips, lacquerware, musical instruments, ceramic vessels, silks, and wooden figures. Among the burial goods was a marquis of Dai, Li Cang, his consort, Lady plain silk garment described in the archeological report Dai, and their son. These tombs have thou- as “as thin as a cicada wing” and “as light as the mist.” It sands of artifacts including bamboo objects, weighs only 49 grams, a marvelous example of advanced lacquerwares, musical instruments, ceramic silk-making technology in early Han China. vessels, wooden figures, silk paintings, gar- The body of Lady Dai, dressed in two garments and ments and manuscripts. wrapped in eighteen layers of shroud, was laid in four layers of painted coffins. The outermost coffin was painted with black lacquer, the second with more than 110 scenes showing mythical animals and figures traveling in clouds he three Han dynasty (206 b c e – 220 ce)tombs at against a black background, and the third with auspi- Mawangdui in the eastern suburb of Changsha in cious motifs, including dragons, tigers, vermilion birds, Hunan Province belonged to the marquis of Dai, and mythical figures in a vermilion ground. The inner- Li Cang (tomb 2, d. 193 bce); his consort, Lady Dai (tomb most coffin was decorated with brocade and tied with six 1, d. after 168 bce), whose name was Xin Zhui; and their to seven layers of silk ribbons. A T-shaped silk painting son (tomb 3, d. 168 bce). These burials, excavated from 1972 about 2 meters long was draped over the innermost coffin. to 1974, were rectangular earthen pits with a ramp in the It is identified asfeiyi (a flying garment) by some scholars north and by two huge earthen mounds on the top, each based on the inventory list of the burial goods recorded about 40 meters in diameter and 16 meters in height. on the bamboo strips. The painting was likely a funerary The tomb of Lady Dai was the largest of the three, banner that depicted the soul of Lady Dai traveling from measuring 19.5 meters from north to south and 17.8 me- the underground to the world of the living and ascend- ters from east to west. The burial chamber was filled with ing to heaven. The underground world depicted in the 10,000 kilograms of charcoal and sealed with white (gaol- lower section of the painting includes water creatures and ing) clay 1–1.3 meters thick, a practice aimed at creating an a robust man holding the Earth; the middle section of environment with a stable temperature and humidity so the painting framed by two intertwined dragons in a bi the body of the deceased and accompanying burial goods (disk) represents the world of the living, showing family could be well preserved. Astonishingly, the body of Lady members mourning the death of Lady Dai and a portrait

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of her; on the top is the representation of heaven inhab- discovered in tombs 1 and 3. Many of them were manufac- ited by dragons in swirling clouds and deer-like creatures tured at the official workshops at Chengdu, a major center ridden by mythical figures. A mythical figure shown en- of lacquer production in the Han dynasty. twined by a snake and identified as Fu Xi (male) or Nu Yan SUN Wa (female), the progenitor of the Chinese, stands in the center of heaven flanked by the sun with a raven and the moon; a toad appears at each corner. Further Reading The tomb of the marquis of Dai, tomb 2, has been se- Hunansheng bowuguan. (1981). Mawangdui Han mu verely looted. A major discovery from tomb 3 is twenty- yanjiu [The study of Han tombs at Mawangdui]. eight individual manuscripts written on silk boshu ( ). Chengshe, China: Hunan renmin chubanshe. Hunansheng bowuguan, Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan Those manuscripts include different editions of ancient kaogu yanjiusuo. (1973). Changsha Mawangdui yihao classics, such as the Zhouyi and Laozi, covering politics, Han mu [The number one Han tomb at Mawangdui, warfare, astronomy, medicine, nutrition, physiognomy Changsha]. Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe. (the art of discovering temperament and character from Hunansheng bowuguan, Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan outward appearance), and divination. Many of these edi- kaogu yanjiusuo. (1974). Changsha Mawangdui er- tions had been thought to be irretrievably lost. sanhao mu fajue jianbao [A brief excavation report In addition, five hundred lacquerware items, includ- of tomb no. 2 and no. 2 at Mawangdui, Changsha]. ing food and wine containers as well as furniture, were Wenwu 7, 39– 48, 63.

Shed no tears until seeing the coffin. 不见棺材不落泪

Bú jiàn guān cɑi bú luò lèi

May First Labor Festival ▶