Song Dynasty. 960-1279 A.D

China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou

H120cm, W140cm

This silk dress has a straight collar, overlapping front panels, fitting sleeves, wrapped hem and edges and a length covering the rear. The brown material is a luo gauze with 4-doup ends while the yellow wrapping along the hem and collar is a plain luo gauze. Excavated from a Southern Song dynasty tomb of a lady who was only about 35 years of age, this dress exemplifies the kind of daily costume worn by young females during the Song dynasty. Many examples of this kind can be seen from Song paintings. Similar dresses of this kind have been unearthed. However, a braided button made from the same material and attached to the middle section in front is what makes this dress more valuable above the rest because this is the earliest button ever found in China. (XY)