Media Information

 
 
 
Collection:
ADJUNCT MODULE D: WORLD ART
Preferred Title:
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor; Cavalryman and Horse
Image View:
Detail, head of the horse with bridle and bronze bit
Creator:
unknown (Chinese sculptors)
Location:
repository: Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Lintong Qu (third level subdivision), Shaanxi, China)
GPS:
34.385 109.273056
Date:
ca. 221-206 BCE (creation)
Cultural Context:
Chinese
Style Period:
Qin
Work Type 1:
sculpture (visual work)
Classification:
Sculpture and Installations
Material:
terracotta
Technique:
casting (process); fabrication attributes: ceramics; modeling (forming)
Subjects:
death or burial; funerary art; military or war; rulers and leaders; Qin shi huang, Emperor of China, 259 B.C.-210 B.C.; horses; archers; cavalry
Description:
The site and first figures were discovered in 1974 by local farmers. The museum was opened in 1979. Some of the most distinctive figures, and the bronze chariots, were moved inside the climate controlled exhibits area. The figures were originally painted with bright pigments, but the paint has flaked off when exposed to air. The figures are life-size and were constructed in parts (heads, arms, legs, and torsos) which were then assembled with clay slip. The cavalryman's battle robe and armor are slightly shorter than those of other warriors and do not contain shoulder pieces. He also wears boots and a tight cap on his head. Cavalry horses had to be above 1.30 meters tall from their hooves to their shoulders, making both cavalrymen and their horses strictly selected and well trained. The men used bows, shooting while riding. (Source: Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum [official website]; www.bmy.com.cn/2015n ew/index.htm)
Collection:
Archivision Adjunct Module D: World Art
Identifier:
7A3-CH-MFQE-C08
Rights:
© Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc.

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor; Cavalryman and Horse