terracotta warriors...first assembly line style production custom construction (faces) carefully...
TRANSCRIPT
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.