The Museum of Hebei Province, located in the capital of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, is well-known for its collection of jade clothes sewn with golden thread which were found in 1968 at the tomb of the Western Han (206 BC-AD 24) prince Liu Sheng (d. 113 BC) and his wife Dou Wan.

Jade suit

Prince Liu Sheng's suit was made of 2,498 pieces of jade sewn together with 1.1 kg of golden thread. Ancient Chinese believed jade could prevent the body from decaying and safeguard the soul in the afterlife.

The Guimet Museum in Paris, France, is also an owner of a similar suite found on a mummy which is believed to be over 1,000 years old, in China.

Meshed suit at the Guimet Museum

The suite is knitted with silver thread averaging 1 mm in diameter. Every mesh is made in the shape of a hexagon and can allow one finger through. The upper part of the suit looks like an ordinary round-neck sweater with the lower part made in the style of trousers.