Did you know one of the earliest silk paintings in Chinese history came from an ancient tomb that was so well preserved that the woman’s body looked like it had been mummified? Travel back in time to explore the Han dynasty tomb of Xin Zhui (AKA Lady Dai) excavated at Mawangdui, Hunan Province, China, in 1972.

Lady Dai’s tomb and funeral banner

Lady Dai was buried in a series of nesting coffins with a colorful T-shaped silk painting draped over her innermost coffin. This gorgeous silk painting depicts a personalized narrative of Lady Dai’s ascension from the earthly world and her funeral to the world of the immortals where Lady Dai’s favorite mythological stories are illustrated. These stories include the heroic tale of Archer Yi who shot down nine fiery suns and saved the planet from certain disaster, and the story of his wife Chang’e who fled on the wing of a dragon with the elixir of immortality.

Learn more about Lady Dai’s silk painting and early Chinese mythology in this video!

Main image:

Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui), 2nd century BCE, silk, 205 x 92 x 47.7 cm, found in Tomb 1 at Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan Province. Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha.

Learn more!

Read some more about the funeral banner from the Hunan Museum.

National Learning Standards

World History

NSS-WH.5-12.3 ERA 3: CLASSICAL TRADITIONS, MAJOR RELIGIONS, AND GIANT EMPIRES, 1000 BCE-300 CE