'Light as smoke': ancient Chinese gown unravels 2,200-year-old silk mystery

(ECNS) -- An astonishingly thin garment from Lady Xin Zhui's tomb is on display for the first time at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province.

“Light as smoke”

Weighing just 48 grams, the plain unlined gauze gown with curved hem is described as "thin as a cicada wing" and "light as smoke". It is longer and wider -- yet 1 gram lighter -- than a plain unlined gauze gown with straight hem.

In 1972, both gowns were unearthed from Lady Xin Zhui’s tomb at the Mawangdui relics site. Lady Xin Zhui, who died at about 50, was the wife of Li Cang, chancellor of the Changsha Kingdom during the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD).

China is the first country in the world to utilize silk from the silkworm cocoon more than 5,000 years ago. The exquisite silk fabric discovered at the Mawangdui tombs showcases the pinnacle of textile techniques during the Western Han Dynasty. 

During the Han Dynasty (202 BC- 220 AD), clothing was usually designed either with a straight or curved hem. Those with a curved hem were generally worn on formal occasions, while those with a straight hem were for casual instances.

Fabric was incredibly lightweight, with a 75 percent light transmission rate as a 900-meter-long silk thread only weighed about 1 gram.

According to experts, due to advances in animal domestication and textile technology, modern silkworms are bigger in size, making the silk thicker and heavier. To restore the same lightweight texture, researchers had to make the silkworms lose weight.

In 2019, a replica of the plain unlined gauze gown with straight hem, weighing about 49.5 grams, was announced by Hunan Museum after a nearly two-year effort, together with Nanjing Yunjin Research Institute. A few years later, a replica of the plain unlined gauze gown with curved hem also came out.

A ‘mystery’ solved

Rumor has it that the plain unlined gauze gown with curved hem was stolen and burned many years ago.

The story goes that in October 1983, a 17-year-old teenager sneaked into Hunan Museum and stole over 30 cultural relics, including a plain unlined gauze gown.

His mom found it out later, but she didn’t call the police. To destroy the evidence, she left a number of stolen items to different public places, burned the gown into ashes and flushed it away to the sewer instead. As a result, they were both sentenced for theft of cultural relics and covering up crimes.

In fact, it is the plain unlined gauze gown with straight hem that was once stolen. Fortunately, it was retrieved afterward.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the archaeological excavation of the Mawangdui Han Dynasty tombs.

The newly-exhibited ancient Chinese gown has finally made its debut as part of the exhibition titled "She Walks in Beauty: Women of the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire.” 

Featuring more than 200 pieces/sets of items from 19 museums across Italy and China, the exhibition will last until Oct. 7.