The 2,300-year-old Chu Silk Manuscripts, some of the oldest known texts on fabric, have finally returned to China after being in the United States since 1946. On Friday, China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration received fragments of the manuscripts, including the “Wuxing Ling” (Almanac on Do and Don’t) and “Gongshou Zhan” (Attack and Defense Divination), from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art during a ceremony at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Unearthed in 1942 from an ancient Chu tomb at Zidanku in Changsha City, Hunan Province, these silk manuscripts are more than a century older than the Dead Sea Scrolls. They offer invaluable insights into early Chinese almanacs and military traditions through intricate texts and illustrations.
The returned relics include fragments of the “Four Seasons Almanac”, measuring 47 by 38 centimeters. This piece is divided into three sections: a lengthy inner text on the theme of the “year,” a shorter text recounting a cosmic creation myth and the establishment of the four seasons, and a border featuring twelve animal-shaped month gods and four symbolic trees representing each season.
According to the manuscripts, before the sun and moon existed, four spirits divided the year into four seasons through a relay of footsteps. When the heavenly bodies emerged, they disrupted this balance. To restore cosmic order, the spirits raised colossal trees to support the sky, giving rise to spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
The Chu Silk Manuscripts are of great cultural and historical significance, shedding light on the flourishing Chu civilization over two millennia ago. Their journey abroad began in 1946 when they were taken to the United States. In 1965, American philanthropist Arthur M. Sackler purchased the manuscripts. After his passing in 1987, they were housed in the Sackler Gallery, now part of the National Museum of Asian Art.
The return of these manuscripts marks a significant moment for Chinese cultural heritage. Scholars anticipate that their repatriation will facilitate further study into ancient Chinese history and enrich understanding of early civilizations.
In addition to the manuscripts, a beautifully crafted silk painting depicting a man riding a dragon was discovered in the same tomb during excavations in 1973. Together, these artifacts provide a deeper glimpse into the artistic and cultural achievements of the ancient Chu state.
