Abstract

In 1972, the excavation of Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui in Changsha profoundly impacted the scholarly community with its monumental scale and remarkable state of preservation. Among the discoveries, the exquisite and exceptionally well-preserved silk garments of the Western Han dynasty proved unprecedented in the history of archaeology. Over the past five decades, archaeologists, conservation specialists, and historians of textiles have conducted systematic research on these silk finds. In recent years, the Hunan Museum has undertaken a comprehensive reorganization of the excavated textiles and published A Comprehensive Collection of Chinese Silks: Hunan Museum, which has brought forth a series of new insights.

This lecture will focus on the corpus of silk artifacts unearthed from the Mawangdui tombs, reviewing key milestones in their study and examining in depth several representative weaving techniques—namely, the warp-faced compound tabby, the damask on plain weave and the complex gauze. On this basis, it will present new perspectives to illuminate the technological sophistication, artistic value, and cultural significance of silk weaving in the Han dynasty.

Speaker Bio

ZHAO Feng, is Professor at the School of Arts and Archaeology, Zhejiang University, and Qiushi Distinguished Professor. He is the former director of the China National Silk Museum, and also serves as Doctoral Advisor at Donghua University and Zhejiang Sci-Tech University. He is a Member of the National Committee for Cultural Relics Authentication, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Museums Association, Executive Board Member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), and Chair of the International Association for the Study of Silk Road Textiles.

Professor Zhao has long specialized in the history of textile technology in China and the art history of the Silk Road. He has held visiting research appointments and conducted academic collaborations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the British Museum. He has published over one hundred articles in both Chinese and English, and is the author or editor of numerous monographs and series, including Chinese Silk Art, Textiles from Dunhuang, The Ancient Chinese Silk Material Design Department, Series of Chinese Silk Art in Past Dynasties, Treasure In Silk: An Illustrated History of Chinese Textiles, Splendid Journey: Chinese Silk and the Silk Road, and In Search of Liaoling: Bai Juyi’s “Liaoling” Poem and Tang Dynasty Silk. He has led major national and provincial research projects, including “World Silk Interactive Map: Key Technology Development and Demonstration” and “The Comprehensive Collection of Chinese Silks.”

Event Information

• Free and open to the public
• October 5th (Sunday)
• 3:00 – 5:00 PM ET
• This is an in-person event.