Terracotta Archer

I thought it would be fun to bring an individual member of the Terracotta Army to life. The full Terracotta Army was constructed as an afterlife guard to accompany the tomb of China's First Emperor, Qin Shuhuang, around 210 BCE. Every figure differs in facial features and expression, clothing, hairstyle, and gestures, providing abundant and detailed artifacts for the study of the military, cultural, and economic history of that period. The soldiers do not represent real people specifically, but each one looks unique. Scholars have identified about 10 basic face molds used in the creation of the once-painted figures. Clay would then be added after assembly to provide individualized features to make each figure appear different. At the very least it shows a way that a soldier of a Chinese army could have looked like!

Left portrait: Public domain, courtesy of David Castor. Right image base: iStock Photo. Info in part by ChinaHighlights.com

History & Process Video: