Chinese Terra Cotta Warrior

Mausoleum of Qin ShiHuang

Emperor Qin ShiHuang was well aware of his on mortality, and ordered construction of his tomb at a young age. He had sent thousands of his men overseas to discover the secrets of immortality, and visited holy mountains himself to have deep conversations with the gods. Many view Qin ShiHuang as a tyrant, and his arrogance is well documented.

Ancient Chinese believed that the soul lived on after death, so that the dead requires the same treatment as the living. Emperor Qin ShiHuang constructed a tomb with a Terra Cotta army of 8,000 soldiers to protect his spirit after death.

According to Sima Qian (historian of the Han Dynasty), the coffin of Emperor Qin Shi Huang was cast in bronze, and the underground palace was a replica of the imperial palace above ground. Within the tomb, traps with shooting arrows were installed to fend off grave robbers.

china terra cotta army
(Photo of Terra Cotta Warriors in Pit 1)

Making of the Terra Cotta Soldiers & Army

Each terra cotta soldier was individually fashioned, and crafted with care. The legs are solid, while the upper torso is hollow, formed with an inner core of coiled strips of clay. Finer clay was then molded on top of this core. The facial features and expressions are then individually added by the artisans.

china terra cotta army
(Picture of broken Terra Cotta figures.)

china terra cotta army
(Picture of some headless Terra Cotta figures.)