By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov
Calm, fearsome, and ready to protect their Emperor, even though they are made of clay and require careful preservation efforts from contemporary science, the world-famous terracotta warriors of China’s ruthless unifier Qin Shihuang (259-210 BCE) stand now on display at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, surrounded by the art objects from their time and culture.
Unearthed in 1974, the underground burial complex of the First Emperor, who was obsessed with an idea of achieving immortality, revealed scores of elaborate objects of arts and crafts, household items, and – an entire army of more than 7,000 life-sized warrior figures and over 10,000 weapons.
The current Museum display features ten figures—the maximum number permitted outside China in a single exhibition – 8 warriors of various ranks, and 2 horses representative of the actual terracotta army.
110 artifacts from the underground sites surrounding the First Emperor’s tomb are also on display, including bronze weapons and vessels, sc ulptures and clay figurines, semi-precious stone jewelry and gold adornments.
China’s Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s Legacy runs through May 27 at the Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco. More information at: www.asianart.org.
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