3/27/2007 ~ Terracotta Warriors

On the Rio: Beck~ Tropicalia

The mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of all China who ascended the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC) includes life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations.

Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur.

The pits provide an incredible amount of information of the army's forces, dispositions such as the distribution and formation of ranks, the use of weapons and the application of military tactics. The terra cotta soldiers are remarkably realistic sculptures. The figures are mostly 1.8 meters (5 feet 11 inches) in height, the lower part of the body being solid and the upper part hollow. Originally the figures were painted in bright colors however, over the two thousand years they have silently stood guard, the color has faded and worn off.

An abundance of clay and especially large deposits of ochre-colored loess in Northern China, which the Chinese refer to as 'yellow earth' proved to be a suitable material due to its plasticity and adhesive quality.

The clay was firstly panned and crushed into a malleable form is suitable for molding. The mould was started from the bottom of the body. The feet of the warrior were formed on a square base, and legs were then added. When half-dry, clay was coiled into 3 to 5 cm ropes wound upwards to create the hollow upper body. This was carefully smoothed using a paddle on the exterior pressing against an anvil or block on the inside wall. Next, the half finished head and hands were pasted onto the body. The structure of the base prevented the figure from collapsing. Fashioning heads represented a complicated process. Facial features were achieved using a mould, with piling and sculpting to form the back. Ears were pasted to the heads prior to adding sculpted or molded hair buns.

A procedure was adopted to give individuality to each rough mould. The artisans smeared fine clay on the rough surface, then by pinching, pasting, cutting, and carving, facial details like eyes, hair, moustache, ears were elaborately represented. Excavations indicate that dozens of heads might be made from the same mould.

Skillful refinement produced the individual life like facial features and impressive stance, representative of the powerful Qin army. No two figures have an identical face; some appear solemn in deep thought while others are of a cheerful countenance. Archaeological research confirms that these facial features are truly representative of the real men.

A two wheeled chariot with a round canopy, 1.2 meters in length and 1.3 meters in width, is pulled by four pottery horses flanked by two spear men with a central charioteer. The horses measure 1.5 meters (4 feet 11 inches) in height and 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) in length. The charioteer wears a long robe under armor that protects his chest, back and shoulders. His arm extends forward as if he is holding reins.