|
Jade
shrouds were regarded as the most noble funeral coverings
for people in Han Dynasty. People were obsessed with
the belief that jade could preserve corpses, and so
jade shrouds were invaluable items for the elite.
Emperors
and aristocrats were buried in this kind of semi-precious
clothing, which was also described as Yu Xia (Jade Casket).
Each shroud was composed of many jade plates; each plate
had a hole in each of the four corners through which
threads made of gold, silver or copper could go though.
By sewing together the plates with those threads, craftsmen
would make the Gold-Lined Jade Shroud, the Silver-Lined
Jade Shroud, and the Copper-Lined Jade Shroud.
According
to HouHanShu, the classic historical record of the post-Han
period, tradition divided jade shrouds for royalty into
three categories:
--the
Gold-Lined Jade Shroud was for emperors.
--the
Silver-Lined Jade Shroud was for vassals, the privileged,
and princesses.
--the
Copper-Lined Jade Shroud was for late emperors' concubines
and sisters of the incumbent ruler.
Jade
shrouds usually had two parts: the head and the vestment.
The head part consists of the mask and the hood. Eye
sockets, a nose, and a mouth are carved out of the mask.
The components are all small rectangle jade panels.
Eyes and mouths come out of bigger jade panels while
noses are formed by thin layers of tile-shaped jade.
The image closely resembles real people.
The
vestment contains the front, the rear, and the sleeves.
Each part is separate. The pants have left and right
leg-huggers. Hands are closed in fists, holding a semi-circular
jade ornament in each symbolizing holding onto wealth.
The feet are crafted to look like they already have
shoes on.
This
exhibition is located at the China Jadeware Museum within
Macrocosm Merryland. It's long been a hot spot for school
field trips. Moreover, many foreign visitors have been
astonished by the rich storage of jade artifacts and
the unrivaled stockpile of precious stones, animal and
plant fossils, and ores.
*
1-2, JiaWan, KangLe Village, SinChern Town, Hualien
County
* TEL: (03) 826-8688
* Open 7 days a week
* NT$530 for anyone above 15 years old; NT$490 for 14-year-olds
and younger, physically challenged, and those older
than 64 years old; NT$450 for elementary school kids
and younger as well as Hualien residents
* Admission Fee: Adults NT$380; students and children
NT$340
* http://www.klmm.com.tw
|
