Durban - The Terracotta Army, one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century, has revealed a treasure trove of information on the rule of the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang and the establishment of the powerful Chinese empire.
And the replica Terracotta Army Exhibition now on display at Gateway shopping centre, Durban, provides fascinating insight into ancient China, as well as portraying the sheer magnitude and detailed workmanship of the clay army guarding their emperor.
While around 1600 clay warriors have been unearthed so far, it is believed the Necropolis could hold up to 8 000 clay warriors, 520 chariot horses for 150 chariots and 150 saddled horses.
The massive army, which is buried underground, is part of the mausoleum dedicated to the emperor. Representing the actual army that was deployed during the First Emperor’s reign and conquests, his clay army guard him in the afterlife, just as his army guarded him during his time on earth.
Huang had the masterpiece constructed during his lifetime, from 246 BC to 210 BC and it’s believed 720 000 workers or more toiled over 36 years to build the masterpiece, which was interrupted by the emperor’s untimely death.
The first fragments of this spectacular army were found by three farmers, looking to dig a new well, in March 1974, near Xi’an, the present capital of the Shaanxi Province.
After coming across pottery shards, one of the farmers discovered one of the statues. By July 1975 the official identification of the First Emperor’s Terracotta Army had begun.
All the clay soldiers are slightly larger than life and each soldier is unique. This has been ascribed to the statues’ finishing touches, carried out just before baking.
During this last phase, each statue, particularly the face, was shaped by hand. This included modifying facial expressions, moustaches, eyebrows and ears. Incisions on the loose clay gave impressions of texture in the clothing and the angles of the arms as well as positions of hands and fingers would be changed according to each role. Facial expressions were added after baking, with different traits including his status within the army, age (young or old), mood (furious, thoughtful, happy or sad), alertness (vigilant or relaxed). The bright colours of the original lacquer paint have faded.
These clay figures portray the highly sophisticated level of artistry and skill displayed by the Chinese more than 2 000 years ago.
Qin Shi Huangdi came to the throne at the age of 13. When he was 38, he proclaimed himself the First Emperor of China, ruling for 10 years.
The Qin armies were extremely powerful and along with some very effective administration measures, Huang left an indelible mark on the pages of Chinese history. His form of government survived for 800 years after his death.
His administrative reform was based on principles of personal merit and collective responsibility, centralisation, creation of a population register and introduction of tax as well as standardising of writing, currency and weights and measures.
He was also responsible for some major construction works during his reign, initiating them throughout the empire. These included not only his vast Necropolis, but also the building of numerous palaces, the digging of canals and also the construction of the first version of The Great Wall of China. During the last years of his life, Huang undertook tours of his empire and it was during his fifth tour, that he unexpectedly died at 49 years old.The cause of his death is unknown, but research has suggested that he may have poisoned himself. He regularly had magic potions prepared which would assure him of eternal life. It’s believed these potions contained cinnabar, a mineral compound of mercury sulfide.
Today, the Chinese authorities are still reluctant to unearth the Emperor’s funeral vault, until such time as technology can guarantee proper preservation of the artefacts. The site was classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1987 and systematic excavations of the 56km2 site are expected to continue for several generations.
Tickets: R140 for adults and R95 pensioners. Children can also learn how to paint their names in Chinese. The exhibition runs until May 29.
Tanya Waterworth, Independent on Saturday