The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army

Finally open to the public, a chance to view The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army has emerged. Two places will be hosting the main events: The British Museum and the High Museum. After these tours are finished, the objects and statues featured in the exhibition will travel to the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana, Calif., the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Texas, and the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., where they will be presented within a different curatorial framework.

The exhibition as a whole will feature a total of 100 works including 15 terracotta figures. The reason this exhibition is so special is that it is one of the largest (and fewest) works relating to the First Emperor to ever be loaned to the United States from The Chinese Culture Relics Bureau in China. The Terracotta Army was discovered around 1974 by some farmers in the Xi'an Province of China, very close to the Mausoleum of the very first Chinese Emperor called Qin Shi Huang Di. The figure was previously thought to be much smaller than the current estimates show, as there are about 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 670 horses, and a variety of other life-sized statues. Even so, many of the terracotta figures are still buried within the site and have not been excavated.

These were most likely created by government laborers of the Chinese Government. Each statue is so lifelike and intricately detailed; it's no wonder that the High Museum of Atlanta calls the Terracotta Army the "8th Wonder of the Ancient World." They each vary in height, uniform, facial features, and hairstyle. Even their ranks are distinguished from one another. Throughout the years, the statues have experienced much decay, due to tourists' breathing, mold, and humidity, but at one point each was so perfectly crafted - it really is a testament to how powerful the First Emperor was to be able to command an undertaking of such degree (He is the same emperor who built the Great Wall and unified China).

This is a once in a lifetime event, as the statues will most likely be moved back to China once the tour is over. The British Museum hosted the exhibition from September 13, 2007 to April 6, 2008, so the first part of the tour is concluded, but the statues will arrive at the High Museum in Atlanta and be open to the public for viewing from November 16, 2008 to April 19, 2009. Tickets start at just $18 for entrance into the Museum, so hurry in and come marvel at amazing craftsmanship of such magnitude. It may never happen again.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_army

http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=3,2,1,1,2

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