Tomb treasures

About this book

"This exhibition catalogue features archaeological discoveries found in kings' and other royalty's mausoleums and tombs from the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE-9 CE) in Jiangsu province, China. These royals lived extravagantly and, after death, were buried in grand style to ensure a prosperous afterlife. Royal mausoleums were furnished with enormous quantities of treasures comprising not only luxurious goods used in real life, but also artifacts made specifically for burial. About 100 objects (made of gold, silver, jade, bronze, pottery, lacquer, and other refined materials) will be featured, and most of these will be exhibited for the first time outside of China. Masterworks include a full-length jade suit sewn with gold threads, a huge coffin shrouded in jade, and a complete set of functional bronze bell chimes for court music"--