Two words: Terracotta Army.
One of the most fascinating things anyone could ever see. I considered this army as art because in a way, it is.
In 1974 farmers discovered these terra cotta figures, which dated back all the way to 210 BCE. They were found near Xi’an, Shaanxi province.
The figures differ in height, but they are in between 184 cm and 197 cm (6ft – 6ft 5in). They are pretty tall. They are taller than me!
In the Terracotta Army you can find following figures: warriors, horses, officials, chariots, strongmen, musicians and acrobats.
The Terracotta Army was buried with Emperor of Qin in 209-210 BC. The purpose of the Army was to help rule another empire with Shi Huangdi in the afterlife. Others think they were simply built for protection.
Local craftsmen and government labourers created these figures. The body parts, head, arms, legs and torso were made separately and then put together. According to studies, eight face moulds were used. Clay was added to give them individual facial features.
The Terracotta Army lies in four pits. They are 1.5km east of the burial mound and are approximately 5 metres deep. In a way they act as guards to protect the tomb from an attack from the east (where all the conquered states were). The walls around them and ground layers are as hard as concrete. Sadly some figures are damaged and decaying.
Outside of China, museums have had exhibitions about the Army. In Britain, for example, the British Museum hosted an exhibition called “The First Emperor – China’s Terracotta Army“. The exhibition lasted from 13 September 2007 until 6 April 2008.
