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