Terracotta Warriors...First assembly line style production Custom construction (faces) Carefully...

By Isabella Lee Hannah Go Joanna KohLogan Chun

Terracotta Warriors221-206 B.C.E

Qin Dynasty Painted terracotta

● Qin Shi Huang (259-210 B.C.E.) - First Emperor of China● Conquered rival states and united them● Obsessed with immortality & wanted to achieve eternal life● In order to conquer death he built himself a tomb which is equal

to an underground city● Envisioned a subterranean domain that parallels his worldly life

after death● Built first version of the Great Wall of China

Context: Emperor Qin

● Introduced many innovations and advancements to his people and the land during his reign

● Military genius○ Violent methods (massacres

and destruction) ○ His end goal justifies his

actions during his reign

Context: Emperor Qin cont.

● Emperor Qin lined his burial structure with all of his riches and plies of gemstone ○ He did this due to it representing the

stars, sun, and the moon○ Universe = guide to crossing over to

immortal existence● According to historian Sima Qian,

emperor feared artisans would reveal information on all the treasure in the tomb, so shut them in the tomb

Context: Emperor Qin cont.

● Ordered the mausoleum’s construction shortly after taking the throne

● It was found when farmers were digging a well in 1974

● Still thousands of soldiers to be discovered today

● Many other rooms yet to be excavated

○ Qin’s tomb left untouched for now

● Deterioration due to mold, exposure to oxygen, tourists

Context: Terracotta Warriors

● First assembly line style production

● Custom construction (faces)

● Carefully made

● Hollow torso, solid head, arms, and legs were created separately then assembled

● More than 700,000 artisans and laborers were involved in the construction of the army and the complex

● Artisans used mud to make a rough cast

Content: Terracotta Warriors

Content

● Life-size ○ Warriors, infantrymen, horses,

chariots and also their weapons○ Positioned according to rank

● Some held bronze/iron swords and arrow tips

● Wooden chariots behind clay horses

Content

● Pit 1○ Largest pit ○ Warriors and horses in battle formation

● Pit 2○ 4 specialized military forces: archers, war

chariots, infantrymen, cavalry● Pit 3

○ Smallest of 3 pits○ Command center○ Pottery figures and 1 chariot

● Pit 4 is empty (unfinished construction)● Acrobats found in the entertainment pit

○ Represents movement compared to the stiff soldiers

Content

● Gardens, stables, ritual vessels, jewelry, wealth of gold/silver ornaments

● Technology recently revealed an underground chamber with 4 stairlike walls

○ May have been built for emperor’s soul

Form

● Each of the warriors have their own unique features

● Rigid, linear standing figures and naturalistic clothing

● Stylized and yet strikingly realistic● Originally painted ● Heights vary according to rank

○ Usually around 6 ft○ Generals are the tallest

Function

● Created to accompany Emperor into afterlife

● Soldiers-protect emperor in afterlife

196: Gold and Jade Crown

Three Kingdoms Period, Silla Kingdom, Korea.Fifth to sixth centuryMetalwork.

Content/Subject Matter● The crown is composed of the headband, the

dangling pendants and the ornamentations, all attached with wires

● The headband has five vertical elements, three are shaped like trees and the other two are shaped like antlers

● Tree shape resembles a sacred tree from the ritual precinct of Gyeongju

● There are six dangling pendants● There are tiny gold discs and jade ornaments ● Jade ornaments symbolize ripe fruit

representing fertility● The two antler shaped elements may refer to

the reindeer that were native to the eurasian steppe

Form

● Fragile gold construction● Frame is made out of thin cut sheet-gold

embellished by granulation, punched dots, riveting, and filigree

● Frame of the crown is decorated with small gold disk and jade ornaments called gogok

● Extremely intricate and precious design

Context

● During the fifth and sixth centuries, the Korean peninsula was divided between three rivaling kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla)

● The most powerful was the Silla kingdom in the southeast of the peninsula

● Chinese diplomats described the kingdom as a country of gold and they saw crowns with gold and jade

Context

● Before the adoption of Buddhism, Koreans practiced shamanism (nature worship that requires the expertise of a priest-like figure, or shaman, who intercedes to alleviate problems facing the community)

● Silla royalty upheld shamanistic practices in ceremonial rites such as coronations and memorial services○ In these sacred rituals, the gold crowns

emphasized the power of the wearer through their precious materials and natural imagery

Function

● First thought to be made specifically for burial because of the fragile gold construction

● Recent research has revealed that they were also used in ceremonial rites of the Silla royalty during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C.E. - 676 C.E.)

Interesting Facts

● A replica of the crown is being used in the South Korean show, Queen Seondeok

● Also can be seen in the popular video game civilization 6.