Jade Armour of Immortality: Treasures of China’s Han Dynasty

Jade Armour of Immortality opens a vivid window onto the Han dynasty, an era that profoundly shaped China’s political institutions, cultural identity and ideas about life after death. At its centre is an extraordinary full-body royal burial suit made from 1,460 polished jade plaques joined with 958 grams of gold wire. Across 111 objects and object groups, jade, lacquerware, pottery, bronzes, seals, stone carvings and coins illuminate three interconnected worlds: social order and government, the art of everyday life, and ritual beliefs surrounding death and immortality. Together, they reveal a civilization in which exquisite craftsmanship carried profound political and spiritual meaning. Conceived for galleries of approximately 600–900 square metres, the exhibition combines focused lighting, multimedia, interpretive graphics and an interactive four-metre Magic Wall. Moving “From Object to History, From Jade to the Han Dynasty,” it offers host institutions a visually sumptuous archaeological exhibition built around an unforgettable masterpiece.