Chinese Stone Armor

Maybe it was meant for stationary troops? If it was a difficult thing to fight in. Maybe a guy on horse back or operating a crossbow. I can see these working at least as good as modern ceramic armour

It's definitely meant to be armor (whether functional or not), as opposed to a jade burial suit. For one thing, look at the holes where the wires attach the tiles together: the holes on the armor are the same as what you'd see on metal lamellar, whereas the ones on the burial suits are just have holes in the corners, for attaching the tiles together without overlapping them. 

Well, it would definitely be heavy, but not any heavier than a suit of medieval European plate armor, or, like I said, the weight an average modern soldier carries around. So you could certainly fight carrying that weight. 

The article say they found 87 pieces of armor and 43 helmets, so they were obviously making these stone armors in some quantities, not just as a one off thing. I could also see them being ceremonial burial armor, maybe the equivalent of burying someone in solid gold armor. Still, a thick piece of jade would certainly stop a sword cut, spear thrust, or arrow. And shattered tiles could be replaced after the battle.