Eye to eye with terracotta warriors
A once in a generation opportunity is coming to the national museum in Wellington, says Te Papa as it prepares for the arrival of China’s terracotta warriors.
The exhibition Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality will run from December 15 to April 22, 2019.
Ten of the 2300-year-old ancient treasures from the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, will be accompanied by a collection of about 160 extravagant treasures from imperial tombs in and around China’s ancient capital, Xi’an.
The major exhibition has cost $2.6 million to mount but the objects are priceless so curator Rebecca Rice could not put a figure on its worth.
Te Papa’s exhibition will have two life-size horses and eight fullsize terracotta figures including an armoured general, a kneeling archer, an unarmoured infantryman and a civil official.
There will also be two half-size replica bronze chariots, each drawn by four horses, and ancient Chinese art crafted from gold, jade and bronze that dates from 1046 BC to 220 AD.
Rice visited the First Emperor’s mausoleum in Xi’an to help create the Wellington exhibition. She said the site astounded her.
She said the mystery surrounding the army, buried 1.5 kilometres from the emperor’s tomb, was thrilling.
‘‘People knew about the tomb where the emperor was buried.
‘‘They knew the stories about the rivers of mercury and the lanterns with whale oil that would burn for eternity.
‘‘But nothing was ever recorded in the historical accounts about the underground army.’’ With a set of the warriors restored to a level safe to tour, the original archaeological figures can be scrutinised from close up, she added.
‘‘At the exhibition, you really get the chance to get up close; look at the detail and appreciate the individuality of the figures, the crafting of their clothes, the draping, the hairstyles, and the tread on the sole of the foot of the kneeling archer. It’s all you really want to do is soak up the details and think then, that they were made 2300 years ago.’’
The underground army was discovered when a farmer digging a well turned over pieces of terracotta in 1974, reporting the find to local authorities.
An archaeologist jumped on his bike and rode out to the site where he began to excavate to reveal the life-size, life-like soldiers each weighing up to 300 kilograms.
An estimated 8000 soldiers exist but just 3000 have been excavated. Originally painted with bright pigments, they vary in height, uniform, and hairstyle in accordance with rank.
Te Papa chief executive Geraint Martin expects 100,000 people to view the exhibition.