Chu Silk Manuscripts near return as 2,300-year-old treasure draws global attention
The Chu Silk Manuscripts, an extraordinary set of ancient texts, have been locked in a decades-long struggle to return home to China. These artifacts, dating back over 2,300 years to the Warring States period (475–221 B.C.), were stolen from a tomb in Changsha, Hunan Province, during the winter of 1942. The manuscripts, known for their remarkable insights into early Chinese cosmology and rituals, were initially dismissed as mere curiosities by those who encountered them.
The Unlikely Discovery and the Theft
The manuscripts were first discovered among a trove of artifacts, including lacquerware, bronze swords, and silk pieces, looted from the tomb of a Chu-state official. When the grave robbers sold the items to a local dealer named Tang Jianquan, they also included a bamboo container with a silk piece they mistakenly called a “handkerchief.” Little did anyone know, this “handkerchief” would later be identified as the Chu Silk Manuscripts.
By 1946, the manuscripts had passed into the hands of Cai Jixiang, a local antiquities dealer, who took them to Shanghai for further examination. It was here that they caught the attention of American collector John Hadley Cox. Posing as a helpful figure, Cox smuggled the manuscripts out of China under the pretense of assisting with their study. Despite Cai’s efforts to reclaim the texts, Cox’s deception led to a near-80-year exile for the manuscripts.
The Struggle for Return
The Chu Silk Manuscripts eventually found their way into the collections of American institutions, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. The evidence of the manuscripts’ true origins has been pieced together over the years, thanks to the research of scholars like Professor Li Ling of Peking University, who has dedicated decades to tracing the manuscripts’ journey.
Li’s research, along with corroborating letters and documents, has made it clear that the manuscripts were taken unlawfully from China. At the 2024 International Conference on the Protection and Return of Cultural Objects, Professor Donald Harper presented further evidence: the original lid of the box used by Cox to store the manuscripts in 1946, bearing labels and receipts that align with the timeline of their movement.
A Homecoming Long Overdue
In the decades following the manuscripts’ removal, efforts to repatriate the texts have been made. In 1976, American physician and art collector Arthur M. Sackler attempted to return them to China, but his efforts were thwarted by circumstances beyond his control. Following Sackler’s death in 1987, the manuscripts were placed in the Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C., where they remain today.
While the Smithsonian’s website acknowledges the work of scholars like Li Ling in confirming the manuscripts’ origins, the time has come for these artifacts to be returned to their rightful home. As Professor Harper emphasized, it is clear that these manuscripts belong to China and should be repatriated without further delay.
After nearly eight decades in exile, the Chu Silk Manuscripts represent a cultural tragedy that must now be addressed. The manuscripts are not just artifacts—they are a window into China’s ancient history and cultural heritage. It is time for these treasures to return home.
