Lacquer Coffins

Tomb of Marquis Yi
Warring States Period, c. 430 BC
Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan

Our local guide explains that the Marquis was buried in three coffins: an outer (not shown), inner (photo front; reproduction) and middle (photo rear; reproduction.) Waterproof lacquer coatings were used because of their preservative qualities and their ability to be decorated in a beautiful and durable way. Lacquerwork on this scale was enormously expensive. The design on the middle coffin (closeup) is an intricate braid of elongated, probably shamanic, animal and human or spirit figures.