2,200-Year-Old 'Smoke-Thin' Silk Garment from China

The silk garment excavated from the tomb of Lady Dai of the Western Han Dynasty weighs only 48 grams, made from silk, and is described as thin as a dragonfly’s wing.

An incredible thin silk garment from the tomb of Lady Dai at the Mawangdui archaeological site is being showcased for the first time at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, Hunan Province, Central China, ECNS reported on August 26. The exhibition is part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Mawangdui site excavation, featuring over 200 artifacts from 19 museums in Italy and China, and will run until October 7.

Plain unlined silk garment with curved edges on display. (Photo: China News Service/Ren Siyu).

The plain unlined garment with curved edges weighs only 48 grams, described as thin as a dragonfly’s wing and light as smoke. It is longer and wider but weighs 1 gram less than the plain unlined garment with straight edges. Both garments were excavated from Lady Dai’s tomb in 1972. She died at around 50 years old and was the wife of Li Cang, the Marquis of Changsha during the Western Han Dynasty (from 202 BC to 25 AD).

The mummy of Lady Dai was discovered in 1971 and is one of the best-preserved mummies in the world. The burial conditions created an almost oxygen-free environment, and her coffin was filled with embalming fluid that helped preserve her body. As a result, her remains are exceptionally well-preserved, with flexible limbs, soft skin, and still intact hair on her head.

China was the first country in the world to use silk from silkworm cocoons to produce silk over 5,000 years ago. During the Han Dynasty (from 202 BC to 220 AD), clothing was primarily designed with either straight or curved edges. Curved-edge garments were often worn on formal occasions, while straight-edge garments were reserved for everyday wear.

Silk is extremely light, with a light transmission ratio of 75%. A single strand of silk measuring 900 meters weighs only about 1 gram. According to experts, advancements in weaving technology and animal domestication have led to modern silkworms being larger, resulting in thicker and heavier silk. To restore the lightweight texture of the past, researchers had to help silkworms lose weight.

In 2019, after nearly two years of collaboration with the Nanjing Yanjing Institute, the Hunan Museum unveiled a replica of the plain unlined garment with straight edges, weighing approximately 49.5 grams. A few years later, a replica of the plain unlined garment with curved edges was also introduced.