14 The Afterlife in context
Stanley Su
What is the Terracotta Army?
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The sculptures were buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting him in the afterlife. The Terracotta Army is considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, and it has become a symbol of China’s ancient civilization.
The purpose of the Terracotta Army was to protect the emperor in the afterlife. The sculptures were buried with the emperor in his mausoleum, and they were intended to serve as his personal army in the afterlife, defending him against any threats. The Terracotta Army was also a symbol of the emperor’s power and wealth, and it demonstrated the vast resources that were available to him.
What does the Terracotta Army tell us?
There are certain characteristics that the Terracotta Army has:
- Uniqueness of individual warriors
- Great amount in number
- Close representation of a real person
From these features of the Terracotta Army, we know that it shows the superb work of art and sculpture in China 2000 years ago. Apart from the superficial aesthetics of the Warriors, there are also cultural inferences. For one, it shows the value and belief of the “Afterlife” in ancient China, since whatever is buried with the emperor “follows” him into the underworld. For another, it indicates the supremacy of the emperor in ancient China, as he could command thousands of people to spend years just to build him a tomb.
We could make say that the Terracotta Army tells us
- The craftsmanship of China 2000 years ago
- The belief in the Afterlife
- Supremacy of the emperor
Let’s use these three indicators of guidelines as we go through this chapter.
The Terracotta Army in Xi’an
After the Terracotta Army was found in Xi’an, they have been on display with other Terracotta Warriors in the original pit they were found in. There are approximately hundreds to a thousand Warriors of different positions and features in a single pit which is how they would have been in the Mausoleum of the first Emperor of China. We not only see the spectacular of the Terracotta Army but also the display of a traditional Chinese tomb of an emperor.
Now we should look back at the guidelines. The amount and uniqueness of the warriors do show the great craftsmanship of the Qin dynasty. Moreover, the structure and display of the mausoleum show that the emperor is trying to reconstruct his palace in his reign in his afterlife which also shows his importance as an emperor – the ability to command an army of soldiers and also own all these treasures.
Cases Studies of the Exhibitions around the World
The Metropolitan Museum of Art – “ Age of Empires”
After checking out the museum in Xi’an, we travel around the world to see what the Terracotta Warriors are like in foreign countries. We first start with looking into the temporary exhibition at