China’s Terracotta Army
China’s first emperor lies in a tomb outside the city of Xian in eastern China. The emperor is not alone. Buried nearby are thousands of terracotta soldiers and their horses. They were created more than 2,200 years ago.
Terracotta is clay that has been fired, or hardened, in an oven called a kiln. Large solid pieces of terracotta would shrink and crack. So figures like the bodies of the Chinese soldiers are usually hollow.
The figures represent all branches of the early Chinese army – archers, cavalry, charioteers, and foot soldiers. And, out of 7,000 statues, no two faces look the same. Each is a life-sized portrait of a real person. The heads must have been sculpted one by one.
Picture Credit : Google