The Terracotta Warriors Exhibit
In March
1974 some Chinese farmers were digging a well and came upon an important
discovery: a collection of ancient terracotta soldiers
of varying height lined up in rows. The
archeological dig which ensued uncovered nearly 8,000 sculptured chariots,
horses, soldiers, and other citizens, all designed to guard the mausoleum of
Qin Shi Huang. Qin [pronounced chin] was the self-proclaimed first
emperor of China. The leader of 
2,200
years ago, provoked by fear of death and desire for immortality, had devised an
elaborate tomb protected by the earthen statuettes, which would also provide
him with people to rule over in the afterlife.
An astounding assortment of the artifacts and statues has been touring the
world; I was fortunate enough to see it on a recent trip to the Discovery Museum on West 44th
Street in Manhattan.
2,200
years ago, provoked by fear of death and desire for immortality, had devised an
elaborate tomb protected by the earthen statuettes, which would also provide
him with people to rule over in the afterlife.
An astounding assortment of the artifacts and statues has been touring the
world; I was fortunate enough to see it on a recent trip to the Discovery Museum on West 44th
Street in Manhattan.
Upon
entering the exhibit, visitors see a short film about the finding
of the funerary art. The succeeding rooms
are filled with articles such as cooking pots and ceremonial vessels, decorative
bronze wine casks, roof tiles, an impressive earthenware suit of armor, swords,
and paraphernalia for horses. There is
also a wooden replica of the emperor’s Xianyang Palace.
The pièce de résistance of the exhibit is,
of course, the warriors, which are of various shapes and sizes. The six-foot tall soldiers each have unique faces
and expressions—with or without mustaches, higher or lower topknots according
to the rank from officers to cavalrymen.
The hand shapes and body positions of the larger statues are distinct
and make them uncannily realistic. There were all kinds of people represented in the emperor's terracotta army:
a kneeling assistant, an archer, bureaucrats, musicians, acrobats and other types
of entertainers. Each
of the body parts of the larger sculptures was apparently created separately
and then assembled and painted before being adorned with actual battle regalia and
lined up in precise military formation.
Amazing
is the only word to describe seeing such ancient objets d’art. The logistics of transporting fragile pieces
like these from faraway Asia staggers the imagination. The Chinese government was understandably quite
hesitant at first to allow a large number of these precious articles to be shipped far and
wide. But what a delight for Westerners
to have the chance to view them! On a
side note, if you get to see the collection and are able to charge your visit with
American Express, the normally $7 fee for the audio self-tour is free. At any rate, don't miss an opportunity to visit this exhibit.
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