Due to the belief in the miraculous properties of jade, the ancient Chinese nobility often buried their dead with jade coffins sewn with threads of gold or silver.
About 2,000 years ago, during the Han Dynasty, members of the royal family in ancient China were buried in hand-sewn jade coffins. Meticulously carved jade blocks were joined together with threads of gold and silver. This was a tradition reserved for the wealthy and politically influential of the time, according to IFL Science.
An intact jade coffin set. (Photo: Maksim Gulyachik)
Jade holds a prominent place in ancient Chinese history. This type of jade was favored for its durability and hardness since the Neolithic period (around 3500 – 2000 BC), with prehistoric people using it to create tools and weapons. Over the centuries, the ancients believed in the miraculous properties of jade, which led to its increasing popularity. Consequently, jade became integral to rituals, decorative items, and jewelry. During the Han Dynasty (from 202 BC), jade artifacts often featured animal motifs and were adornments for the elite class.
Thanks to its durability and aesthetic beauty (especially its translucent colors), jade became a symbol of purity, integrity, and immortality. For the Han people, humans possessed both a soul and a body. The soul would travel to the afterlife upon death, existing alongside the immortals. Meanwhile, the body remained in the tomb and could only reunite with the soul through rituals. Jade played a vital role in these rituals, as its miraculous properties were believed to protect the body and soul within the tomb.
The Chinese historian Sima Qian (145 – 86 BC) wrote that Emperor Wu of Han (157 – 87 BC) owned a jade cup inscribed with characters. Emperor Wu also consumed an elixir of immortality made from powdered jade mixed with morning dew collected on a bronze plate, although it was ineffective.
Due to the significance of jade to the soul, the Han family would use as much jade as possible for the deceased with special status. The practice of creating jade coffins to safeguard the immortal body was the next step. Jade coffins were first mentioned in Chinese historical records in 320 AD but remained a mystery until the late 20th century. In 1968, researchers discovered two complete sets of jade coffins made from thousands of small jade pieces sewn with gold threads. The coffins were found in the tomb of Liu Sheng, the King of Zhongshan, and his wife, Princess Dou. Previously, the tomb had not been disturbed by tomb robbers.
According to the Book of the Later Han, the type of thread used to sew jade coffins depended on the status of the deceased, and not everyone could use gold thread. Only emperors were allowed to use this type of thread, while princes, princesses, and nobles used silver thread. The sons and daughters of these nobles would use copper thread, and lower-ranking nobility used silk. Those from lower classes were forbidden from burying jade coffins in their graves.
This tradition seemingly ended during the reign of the first emperor of the Wei state, fearing that such luxurious items would attract tomb robbers looking to burn the coffins for the gold and silver threads.
