- Index - Exhibition
- The Exhibition OF Mawangdui Han Tombs
- 1.A Great Archaeological Discovery
- 2.Walking into the Family of the Marquis of Dai
- --Li Cang’s Family
- --An Extravagant Life
- --The Beauty of Lacquerware
- --The Brilliance of the Silk Country
- --The Treasure on Silk and Inscribed Slips
- 3.Set of Painted Coffins with a Big Outer Coffin
- 4.Everlasting Remains
- 5.Gallery
- The Exhibition of Shang and Zhou Bronzes Found in Hunan
- The Exhibition of Ceramics from Famous Kilns in Hunan
- Exhibition of Calligraphies in the Ming and Qing Dynasty
- Exhibition of Paintings Created in the Ming and Qing Dynasties
- Exhibition of Ten New Major Archaeological Discoveries in Hunan
The Treasure on Silk and Inscribed Slips
The manuscripts and paintings on silk, and the inscriptions on bamboo and wooden slips, were among the most prominent treasures recovered from the Han tombs at Mawangdui. Unearthed from Tomb No. 3, there were around 40 manuscripts on silk, written in about 100,000 words. Most of the manuscripts are valuable documents which had been lost for a long time. The contents cover various subjects in politics, economics, philosophy, history, astronomy, geography, medical science, military affairs, physical training, literature, art and so on. In addition, 11 pieces of paintings on silk, 722 slips of the “Inventory of Burial Objects” and 200 slips with inscriptions of medical treatises were unearthed from Tombs No.1 and No.3. The contents of these silk pieces and slips reveal many scientific and technological achievements and provide rare and significant materials for the study of ancient science, culture and medicine, as well as the art of painting.
“Ten Questions” (Shi Wen)
Each slip: length 23cm width 0.7cmUnearthed from Tomb No.3
On these 101 bamboo slips are written ten questions about daily life, Qigong, keeping in good health, sex hygiene and other topics in fictitious dialogues between emperors, princes, officials, doctors and occultists in ancient times.
“Harmony of Yin and Yang” (He Yin Yang)
Each slip: length 23cm width 0.7cmUnearthed from Tomb No.3
These are documents on sex. The text written on these 32 bamboo slips is about sexual activities and the hygiene of sex.
Book of Changes (Zhou Yi )
Length 30cm width 21.5cmUnearthed from Tomb No.3
Zhou Yi is a book on divination. This is one of the earliest copies of Zhou Yi still in existence; it is quite different from the current editions in the arrangement of the trigrams. Written in the formalized Han clerical script, it might be a copy transcribed in the early years of the reign of the Han Emperor Wendi.
Divination by Five Stars (Wu Xing Zhan)
Length 221.3cm width 49.2cmUnearthed from Tomb No.3
It consists of two parts: Divination by Five Stars and Diagrams of the Movements of Five Stars. Divination by Five Stars is a divinatory text, The Divination by Five Stars is a book to discover human destiny by divining through astrology. The Diagrams of the Movements of the Five Stars is a record of the revolutions of the five planets including Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Saturn. The relative position of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus were listed from the first year in the region of Qin Emperor the First (246 B.C.) to the third year in the region of Han Emperor Wen (177B.C.). It’s particularly recorded in detail and the records show that a cycle of Venus takes 584.4 days, only 0.48 day more than the 583.92 days calculated by today’s astronomers; a cycle of Jupiter takes 377 days, only 1.09 days less than modern calculations; a cycle of Saturn takes 30 years only 0.54 years more than the modern calculation of 29.46 years. All these are evidence of the high level of the astronomy at the time.
Divination by Astrological and Meteorological Phenomena (Tian Wen Qi Xiang Za Zhan)
Length 31cm width 58.5cmUnearthed from Tomb No.3
This manuscript concerns divination through the interpretation of astrological and meteorological phenomena. With 250 drawings of astronomical phenomena such as clouds, air currents, rainbows, fixed stars and comets, etc. painted in red and black, with short captions including names, explanations and divination records. The 29 drawings of comets are the most valued, each of them has a downward head and an upward tail except the last one, reflecting the natural order that the comet always runs counter to the sun. This manuscript might have been completed before the fall of the Chu State in 223 B.C.
Prescriptions for 52 Diseases (Wu Shi Er Bing Fang)
Length 31cm width 18cmUnearthed from Tomb No.3
This manuscript containing about 10,000 words gives prescriptions and therapy for 52 diseases. It carries the names of 254 medicines and 283 prescriptions for medicine, moxibustion, acupuncture and surgery. Concerning various branches of medicine such as internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, pediatrics and the department of five organs, the main treatment is using medicine, also including moxibustion, stone acupuncture needles and surgical operations. It is the earliest-known and most professional manuscript on medical prescriptions.
Drawing of “Tai Yi Jiang Xing”
Length 43.5cm width 45cmUnearthed from Tomb No.3
In the upper middle part of the drawing is a god wearing antlers on his head. On the left side of his head are inscribed with two lines of Chinese characters including 太一將行. Under his armpit is a character 社. God of thunder and god of rain which are not clear are on both sides of his head. On both sides of his feet stand two mythic gods, and under his hip are three dragons arranged in the shape of the Chinese character 品. Beside them are names or incantations, and a line of incantations on the right. This a mystical drawing related to the deity “Tai Yi”.
Drawing of Guard of Honour
Length 219cm width 99cmUnearthed from Tomb No.3
A painting on silk was found on the western wall of the coffin chamber. At the top on the left, escorted by two lines of attendants, the tomb owner wearing a Liu’s hat and a sword paces slowly forward. At the bottom on the left are a phalanx and a scene of beating drums and ringing bells. At the top on the right is a battle formation of chariots. At the bottom are fourteen columns of horsemen. All of them face the tomb owner, as though a ceremony was being held. Characterized by a strong sense of realism, this painting might be regarded as the earliest-known painting in realistic style.
T-Shaped Painting on Silk from Tomb No.1
Length 205cm width at top 92cm width at bottom 47.7cmThis was a banner carried in the funeral procession, and it was then laid on the innermost coffin at the burial. In the “Inventory of Burial Objects”, the banner was recorded as a “Fei Yi” (Flying Garment). In the part of the heavenly world are the sun with its crow, the moon with its toad and rabbit, Zhu Long (a mythical god in heaven), the winged dragons and the heavenly guardians. In the part of the earthly world, the wife of Marquis of Dai, attended by three maids of honor, is ascending heaven slowly, and her family is offering sacrifices. In the part of the underworld, a giant is upholding the earth. This banner reveals the heavenly world as the ancient people imagined it, as well as their romantic view of the quest for eternal life. It is of great artistic value.
Other pictures
T-Shaped Painting on Silk from Tomb No.3
Length 234.6cm width at top 141.6cm width at bottom 50cmThis painting was originally laid on the top of the innermost coffin in Tomb No.3. The content roughly resembles that from Tomb No.1, with minor differences in elements and composition.
Other pictures
