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Builder unearths ancient tomb full of silks
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WHEN a Yang-surnamed resident began to build his farmhouse in Qianqiao Village of Huangyan County, he could never have imagined that the location was just right over an ancient tomb. A red colored coffin appeared during the construction and shocked the man. He quickly stopped building and reported to local authorities.
Archaeologists soon gathered around and found it was protected so well that the wooden coffin looked much newer than other similar ancient tombs.
The relic site excited these archeologists but soon made them anxious — water spilled out when they drilled the coffin, which meant they must rescue excavating it immediately.
The coffin was then sent to China National Silk Museum, where there is a high-tech lab for further research. Scientists spent several months working on the burial objects, discovering a batch of silk garments, including 58 burial costumes and 19 sets of clothes worn by the corpse.
The tomb quickly caused a stir across the country. Whose tomb it is? When was the tomb dug? These questions lingered on in people’s mind.
After a year of excavation and protection, the answer was revealed that the coffin belonged to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) and was the tomb of Zhao Boyun, from the seventh generation of the imperial Zhao family.
His ancestor, Zhao Kuangyin, established the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) in Beijing, and then the royal court retreated to southern China and made Hangzhou the capital of Southern Song Dynasty.
Zhao Boyun moved to Huangyan County when his father was appointed as chief of the county. During his lifetime, in the small county, he constructed a stone bridge over the Xi River and named it Wudong. Locals used the bridge until the 1960s. Today, it still silently stands across the river but is now listed as protected relic.
Now, 23 burial silk costumes are on display in the China National Silk Museum through September 3. Visitors can get close to the antiqued apparel and learn about the ancient costume styles through exhibits on view.
Costumes from most Southern Song Dynasty tombs were destroyed after being buried underground for centuries. Therefore, it is uncommon to unearth so many intact silk clothes from that era.
Historians considered them as the epitome of Zhejiang Province’s silk products dating back 800 years. Their weaving techniques, patterns, motifs and designs provide archaeologists with ample materials to research ancient costumes.
Excavated costume varieties cover traditional jackets, coats, robes, trousers, pants, boots, shoes and accessories. They compose a complete set of Southern Song official clothes, which is believed the first case discovered in Zhejiang and also rare in the country.
In the Southern Song Dynasty, costumes were no more fancy like previous dynasties, but still divided according to social class. Acceptable apparel for officials was rigidly defined by ranking system. But high-level officials could choose to wear more ornate clothing and male blouses that came down below the waist.
The highlight of the grave was a brown silk robe ornamented with lotus patterns. It features broad sleeves and belted waists. The pattern shows that Zhao might be a devout Buddhism believer, as the flower symbolized Buddha in Chinese culture.
Collar edges and sleeve edges of Southern Song-style costumes were often decorated with embroidered patterns, as the robe showcased. Such clothes were decorated with patterns of peony, camellia, plum blossom, and chrysanthemum. These floral motifs epitomized auspiciousness in ancient culture.
According to the then ritual system, people must wear clothes for four seasons before being buried. Therefore, Zhao wore eight traditional jackets and eight pairs of trousers, reflecting the then burial folklore.
Southern Song was a vital period for Zhejiang because the royal court moved from Beijing to this province, which in return made it evolve into the silk production center.
At the time, silk had already developed into many types, including brocade, damask, satin and luo, according to different weaving techniques and methods. The luo variety accounts for a large part of the exhibits, which to some extent proved the prosperous market of silk production in Zhejiang.
Luo is a flimsy, smooth cloth that can breathe, especially suitable to wear in summer. It was invented in China in the Neolithic Age, and Hangzhou luo, which emerged more than 2,000 years ago, is a representative of the luo family due to its refined quality. It reached the peak during Song Dynasty and then pervaded south region of the Yangtze River Delta. In 2009, UNESCO approved it as an intangible cultural heritage.
Date: Through September 3, closed on Mondays
Address: 73-1 Yuhuangshan Rd
Admission: Free
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