Mother Always Protects: Two Embroidered Hundred-Boys Jackets in a Ming Imperial Tomb

Two embroidered silk jackets, discovered in the Dingling Mausoleum of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty and his two wives, reveal a unique funerary practice that served both the afterlife of Imperial Honored Consort Wang (Empress Dowager Xiaojing) and her political influence in the living world. The jackets, adorned with sophisticated craftsmanship and festive motifs of one hundred playing boys, suggest they were designed to maintain and strengthen her connection with her offspring as a means of power assertion and political protection. This study examines the visual and material aspects of the jackets alongside their funerary context and historical circumstances, offering new insights into Ming Dynasty burial customs and imperial symbolism.

Yi, S. (2023). Mother Always Protects: Two Embroidered Hundred-Boys Jackets in a Ming Imperial Tomb. Arts, 12(4), 137. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12040137