Jade Burial Suit of Prince Liu Sheng
An entire suit made of 2,498 jade tiles sewn together with 1,100 grams of gold wire — built to grant immortality to a Han prince.
The Story
Prince Liu Sheng, brother of Emperor Wu of Han, believed that jade could preserve the body and grant immortality. Upon his death around 113 BC, he was buried in this extraordinary full-body suit crafted from 2,498 individual jade tiles, each meticulously cut to shape and connected with 1,100 grams of gold wire. The crafting is estimated to have taken over 10 years. Tragically for the prince, jade did not preserve his body — only fragments of bone remained when the tomb was opened in 1968. But the suit itself survived 2,000 years in pristine condition, becoming one of the most iconic symbols of Han Dynasty belief in the afterlife.
Why It Matters
One of the finest examples of Han Dynasty funerary art, revealing the ancient Chinese aristocracy's obsession with immortality and the extraordinary lengths they pursued it.
Fun Facts
It took an estimated 10+ years for skilled artisans to make
Only royals and the highest nobles were permitted gold-wire jade suits
Despite the jade, Liu Sheng's body completely decomposed
The practice was eventually banned by later emperors as too extravagant
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