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AP®︎/College Art History
Course: AP®︎/College Art History > Unit 10
Lesson 2: China- Terracotta Warriors from the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China
- Terra cotta warriors from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (UNESCO/TBS)
- Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui)
- Longmen caves, Luoyang
- Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO/NHK)
- Neo-Confucianism & Fan Kuan, Travelers by Streams and Mountains
- The David Vases
- The David Vases (Chinese porcelain)
- Chinese porcelain: production and export
- Chinese porcelain: decoration
- The Forbidden City
- The Forbidden City
- Liu Chunhua, Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan
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Terracotta Warriors from the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China
The First Emperor
Qin Shihuang (259-210 B.C.E.) conquered much in this life, but his driving purpose was even greater; he sought to conquer death. In order to achieve immortality, he built himself a tomb—a vast underground city guarded by a life-size terracotta army including warriors, infantrymen, horses, chariots and all their attendant armor and weaponry.
The underground terracotta army found in the First Emperor’s burial complex is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable and mysterious discoveries from the ancient world. A sprawling citadel has been unearthed, complete with gardens and stables, bronze ritual vessels, jade jewelry, and a wealth of gold and silver ornaments.
Besides revealing much about an ancient way of life, observing the physical construction of the underground complex and the methodical production of the figures reveals a set of themes from which we gain a window of insight to the First Emperor’s worldview and enduring influence.
Innovation
The First Emperor is known for stunning innovations that consolidated his rule through modernization. During his reign, he introduced the standardization of currency, writing, measurements and more. He connected cities and states with advanced systems of roads and canals. He is also credited with continuing the construction of the Great Wall, which is perhaps the most widely-known symbol still associated with China to this day.
He is regarded as a military genius, and while his methods included massacre and destruction, some claim that his ultimate success at bringing the states together justifies the violence, a necessary cost of nation-building. We also see the first assembly-line style production in the creation of his terracotta warriors, horses and chariots.
Immortality
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the burial complex is what it suggests about the young Emperor’s obsession with immortality. Driven to conquer death itself, the eventual First Emperor ascended to the throne of the Qin state at age of 13 and immediately began to plan his burial, and more importantly, his underground palace, a mausoleum attended by
an army including over 7,000 terracotta warriors horses, chariots and weaponry intended to protect him in the afterlife. The First Emperor envisioned a subterranean domain that would parallel his worldly existence after corporal death.
According to Han-dynasty historian Sima Qian, the First Emperor lined his burial complex with a treasury of riches and piles of precious gemstones said to represent the stars, sun and moon. He was deeply concerned with the universe and looked to the cosmos as a guide for crossing over to an immortal existence.
Excavation also revealed other mysterious findings, like strangely high levels of mercury and evidence that the poisonous substance coursed through an intricate system of underground troughs, replicating the topography of the actual rivers and seas carving the surrounding landscape. Some suggest that the emperor believed mercury had life-giving power and so surrounded himself with the toxic element, believing it was yet another way he might live forever.
Unification
Of all the accomplishments from this extraordinary period, the unification of China is, without question, the greatest symbol of the Qin dynasty’s power and influence. Born in a time of turmoil in China's history, known as the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.E.), The First Emperor founded the short-lived Qin dynasty (221-206 B.C.E.). By 221 B.C.E., he merged the seven warring states into one nation and took the name Qin Shihuang, which means First Emperor. He left a legacy of a centralized and bureaucratic state that would be carried onto successive dynasties over the next two millennia.
Prior to his taking the throne, the Qin state had been in existence for over half a century—under the single clan Ying though never under the rule of one individual. The rulers of the State of Qin had gradually expanded their domain over the centuries, but the slow effort culminated in ultimate victory when The First Emperor succeeded in uniting the once-divided empire.
Archaeology
When the burial complex was first discovered by farmers in 1974, archaeologists set to work on one of the most astonishing ancient sites on record. The excavation uncovered a sprawling citadel with thousands of warriors, each designed with a unique face and clothing. In addition to the warriors themselves, the dig uncovered horses, chariots, bronze ritual vessels, jade jewelry, and gold and silver ornaments. According to historian Sima Qian, the emperor so feared that his artisans “might disclose all the treasure that was in the tomb, . . [that] after the burial and sealing up of the treasures, the middle gate was shut and the outer gate closed to imprison all the artisans and laborers, so that no one came out.”
The story of the burial complex is also fascinating because it was conceived by such a very young individual. Court records reveal that, despite taking the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 B.C.E.), the eventual emperor ordered construction to begin almost immediately. Enormous numbers of laborers worked on the project, which was halted as the dynasty neared collapse. To date, four pits have been partially excavated. Three contain terracotta soldiers, horse-drawn chariots and weapons. The fourth pit was found empty, a testament to the original unfinished construction.
One of the most extraordinary features of the terracotta warriors is that each appears to have distinct features—an incredible feat of craftsmanship and production. Despite the custom construction of these figures, studies of their proportions reveal that their frames were created using an assembly production system that paved the way for advances in mass production and commerce.
Archaeologists estimate that the objects, including figures, horses, and weapons, number in the thousands, though the true total may never be known.
Learn more about China's terracotta warriors on the Asian Art Museum's education website.
Want to join the conversation?
- which part of china was it been found?(10 votes)
- Now Xi'an is in the Northwestern part of China.(6 votes)
- I just visited the site last week. Most of the site has not been excavated. Do you know when do they plan to finish?(8 votes)
- Actually they currently don't plan to excavate it further until their process becomes more refined. The terracotta soldiers used to be painted with pigment, but when they were uncovered the pigment faded away. Until they find a way to preserve the color, no further excavation will continue.(1 vote)
- how long did it take to built the terra-cotta soldies?(3 votes)
- The army was only made for the 13 years for which Qin ruled. Project was started when he came to power, and was halted unfinished amid uprisings after his death.(4 votes)
- how do we know there might be more structures like this tomb?(3 votes)
- There is much the archaeologist may know that has not been released by the Chinese government for protection of the site.(5 votes)
- Which Dynasty did they make the soldiers in?(3 votes)
- They were made in the Qin Dynasty, during Qin Shi Huang's lifetime. Then they could be buried with him when he died.(3 votes)
- When they were unbarred would they still be in the after life with the first empire?(3 votes)
- It's been mentioned that the first "assembly-line style production" can be seen in the creation of these sculptures. What exactly is this production?(2 votes)
- Assembly line is used to mass produce one specific item. Your computer, for example, has parts that are assembly-line made and then assembled together into a usable computer.
In the context, it's hinted that the sculptures are very similar in looks, materials, and other properties. Therefore, they are said to be 'assembly-line style'.(2 votes)
- How were the terracotta warriors made?(1 vote)
- Dirt (clay) was mixed with water to make it soft.
Artists formed the dirt into the soldiers of the army.
These soldiers were baked (fired) to turn the clay into terra cotta.
It's just that simple.(3 votes)
- "....while his methods included massacre and destruction, some claim that his ultimate success at bringing the states together justifies the violence, a necessary cost of nation-building. ...."
I am NOT among those who say that his ultimate success at bringing the states together justifies the expense. Nor would I be among any who would claim that the expenditure on his tomb to insure his immortality would justify calling him a patron of the arts.
So, what "morality" or "immorality" of the patron adheres to the art he or she may commission or pay for?(2 votes) - how big is the whole tomb?(1 vote)
- The entire area where excavations have been taking place for nearly 50 years is 22 square miles. Some of the pits cover as much ground as an aircraft hangar.(2 votes)