| Transcript |
- pit of ceramic horses and warriors. When the excavation is completed and all the figurines have been restored, the viewer will enter the building and be confronted with a spectacular sight which recreates an entire third-century b.c. army in complete battle formation. Of the several thousand warriors, not one has the same face. Moulds were used for a variety of the basic facial types but, after casting, more individual features were added such as facial hair and hairstyles. At one time these figurines were brightly painted, but over the centuries the pigment has worn away. In 1980 two elaborate harnessed carriages with drivers, made of bronze, were exca�vated near the tumulus of the First Emperor. When one of the bronze carriages was restored, it was found to be approximately half life-size. The carriage and harness system consisted of 3,462 parts: 1,742 are cast bronze, 737 are made of gold and 983 are made of silver. Future excavations at Qin Shi Huang�s necropolis will undoubtedly reveal even greater finds which might shed more light on prevalent beliefs in the afterlife during Qin times.
Although the oppressive Qin regime did not last long after the death of Qin Shi Huang in 210 B.c, the succeeding Han dynasty (206 b.c.-a.d. 220) would last for over four centuries. It was a period of prolonged unification and economic prosperity, which saw great advances in technology and cultural activity. The Silk Road, which was set up linking China to the Mediterranean basin, allowed for the import of all sorts of exotic luxury goods.
Extravagant funerary arrangements and elaborate burial objects to accompany the dead, once the monopoly of the imperial court with their own imperial funerary workshops, became increasingly popular among the wealthy class of the Han period. This new widespread popularity greatly changed the nature of tomb figurines to fit the needs of the various individuals. The ceramic sculptures of this period provide unrivalled material for the study of daily life in ancient China and reflect the rich diversity of Han culture. The large number of ceramic agricultural models placed in the tombs, such as granaries, grain mills, farmhouses, sheds, well heads, rice fields and ponds, pigsties, carts and miniature cooking vessels as well as ceramic figures of domestic animals and fowl, reveal the tremendous importance of agricul�ture in the economy of Han China. The presence of figures such as dancers, acrobats, musicians and servants reveals the luxurious tastes and affluent lifestyle of the upper classes as well as their desire to take it all with them when they died. With the exception of a few major tombs, most Han tomb figures appear to have an emphasis on agrarian and entertainment aspects of society rather than the military side.
The main military assemblages of Han tomb figures, thus far excavated, are the Western Han ceramic armies of small soldiers and horses found at Shizi Shan at Xuzhou in Jiangsu province (fig. iv) and at Yangjiawan (fig. v) and Langjiagou near Xian in Shaanxi province, as well as a miniature military procession of bronze figures from an Eastern Han tomb at Wuwei in Gansu province (fig. vi). This military theme most likely reflects an aspect of the career of the interred in which the army played an important role.
The great demand for tomb figures at this time caused moulds to be implemented for mass production of identical figurines of various types. Figures were usually made by impressing clay between fwo facing moulds joined at a centreline, and sometimes the heads were made separately. Despite this method of quick and cheap production, many figures show a remarkable amount of detail and sensitivity.
The figurines and models of buildings were either simply left unglazed or were covered with a lead glaze in rich tones of green or brown. Unglazed figures were often painted with various colours of pigment, but most of this has worn off or faded. The green-glazed objects usually have reacted with the moisture and salts of the soil
21
|
|---|
