Terracotta Army 兵馬俑

Terracotta Army 兵馬俑

Ceramic, Funeral, War

The Terracotta Army (also known as the "Terracotta Warriors") is a massive collection of terracotta sculpture consisting of 8,000 clay warriors and horses which were discovered in 1974 next to the mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, who died in 210 BC, in Shaanxi province, China.

Qin Shi Huangdi

Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC)

Height: 184-197cm (6ft-6ft 5in)

Craft

Different parts of a Terracotta warrior were created separately then assembled afterwards. Each of the 8,000 terracotta warriors is unique, with a different face and facial expression, and they vary in uniform and hairstyle in accordance with rank. Archeologists believe that they were manufactured in workshops by government labourers and local craftsmen.

After completion, the figures were positioned in the tomb along with real weapons and body armour (subsequently stolen) in precise military formation.

At the very beginning, when the Army was made, the whole army, including warriors, chariots and horses, was painted and looked more colorful than it does today.

Ceramic

The Terracotta Army was meant to protect Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife.

In 1974 when the vaults were opened and exposed to the atmosphere. The original colour coatings were severely damaged, then aged and peeled off, thanks to quick oxidation when the sculptures are unearthed.

Xia Yin, director of the relics-protection department at Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Museum explains what happened:

“Practically every warrior and horse was painted, but having been buried for more than 2,200 years the pigments were so old they began to change just 15 seconds after they were unearthed. Within four minutes the painting layers bound together by pigments became dehydrated, tilted and broke from the surface.”