An astonishingly thin garment from Lady Xin Zhui's tomb is on display for the first time at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province.

湖南博物院首次展出一件自辛追夫人墓中出土的衣物,，其因輕薄程度出人意料而聞名。

“Light as smoke”

輕如煙霧

Weighing just 48 grams, the plain unlined gauze gown with curved hem is described as "thin as a cicada wing" and "light as smoke". It is longer and wider -- yet 1 gram lighter -- than a plain unlined gauze gown with straight hem.

這件有著弧形下擺的平紋無襯里紗衣即曲裾素紗單衣,，僅重48克,，可謂是“薄若蟬翼”“輕如煙霧”。它比有著平直下擺的直裾素紗單衣更長(zhǎng)更寬,，卻較之更輕了1克,。

In 1972, both gowns were unearthed from Lady Xin Zhui’s tomb at the Mawangdui relics site. Lady Xin Zhui, who died at about 50, was the wife of Li Cang, chancellor of the Changsha Kingdom during the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD).

這兩件素紗襌衣皆于1972年出土自馬王堆漢墓遺址中的辛追夫人之墓。辛追夫人離世之時(shí)約為50歲,，乃是西漢時(shí)期長(zhǎng)沙國(guó)丞相利蒼的妻子,。

China is the first country in the world to utilize silk from the silkworm cocoon more than 5,000 years ago. The exquisite silk fabric discovered at the Mawangdui tombs showcases the pinnacle of textile techniques during the Western Han Dynasty.

5000多年前，中國(guó)是世界上首個(gè)利用蠶繭制絲的國(guó)家,。而在馬王堆漢墓中所發(fā)現(xiàn)的精美絲織品,，充分展現(xiàn)了西漢時(shí)期紡織技術(shù)的巔峰水平。

During the Han Dynasty (202 BC- 220 AD), clothing was usually designed either with a straight or curved hem. Those with a curved hem were generally worn on formal occasions, while those with a straight hem were for casual instances.

在公元前202年至公元220年的漢朝時(shí)期,，服裝往往被設(shè)計(jì)成直裾或曲裾樣式,。曲裾通常于正式場(chǎng)合穿著，而直裾則被應(yīng)用于日常場(chǎng)合,。

Fabric was incredibly lightweight, with a 75 percent light transmission rate as a 900-meter-long silk thread only weighed about 1 gram.

據(jù)悉,，素紗襌衣極其輕薄，其透光度達(dá)75%,，一根長(zhǎng)900米的絲線也僅重約1克,。

According to experts, due to advances in animal domestication and textile technology, modern silkworms are bigger in size, making the silk thicker and heavier. To restore the same lightweight texture, researchers had to make the silkworms lose weight.

據(jù)專家所言，由于現(xiàn)代蠶蛹經(jīng)過馴化以及紡織技術(shù)的發(fā)展,，現(xiàn)代蠶的體型變得更大,，致使蠶絲愈發(fā)粗重。為了能再現(xiàn)素紗襌衣過去的輕盈質(zhì)地,，研究人員只好讓蠶“減重”,。

In 2019, a replica of the plain unlined gauze gown with straight hem, weighing about 49.5 grams, was announced by Hunan Museum after a nearly two-year effort, together with Nanjing Yunjin Research Institute. A few years later, a replica of the plain unlined gauze gown with curved hem also came out.

直到2019年，歷經(jīng)近兩年的不懈努力,，湖南博物院攜手南京云錦研究所一同宣告成功復(fù)制出了一件重量約為49.5克的直裾素紗襌衣,。幾年后，曲裾素紗襌衣的復(fù)制品也得以問世,。

A ‘mystery’ solved

被解開的“謎團(tuán)”

Rumor has it that the plain unlined gauze gown with curved hem was stolen and burned many years ago.

曾有傳言稱,，這件曲裾素紗襌衣在多年前被盜且已被燒毀。

In fact, it is the plain unlined gauze gown with straight hem that was once stolen. Fortunately, it was retrieved afterward.

事實(shí)上,，曾經(jīng)被盜的是直裾素紗襌衣,。且幸運(yùn)的是，它后來已被尋回。

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the archaeological excavation of the Mawangdui Han Dynasty tombs.

今年是長(zhǎng)沙馬王堆漢墓考古發(fā)掘50周年,。

The newly-exhibited ancient Chinese gown has finally made its debut as part of the exhibition titled "She Walks in Beauty: Women of the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire.”

湖南博物院特別推出“彼美人兮——兩漢羅馬時(shí)期女性文物展”,，這件曲裾素紗襌衣最終在該展中進(jìn)行首次亮相。

Featuring more than 200 pieces/sets of items from 19 museums across Italy and China, the exhibition will last until Oct. 7.

據(jù)悉,，此次展覽匯集了來自意大利和中國(guó)共19家博物館的200多件（套）展品,，并將持續(xù)展出至10月7日。