The Terracotta Army Mud Sculpture - Term Paper Example

Terracotta Army China Introduction The terracotta army is a mud sculpture showing armies of the first Chinese Emperor. It is a form of art sculptured to represent the Empire, and the army protecting him after he dies (Capek 6). It was discovered by farmers who were digging wells adjacent to the royal tomb, after the Northwestern part of China had suffered a long period without water, in 1974 (Capek 9). It is after the discovery that the state council built a museum one year later. It has to date been an attraction to visitors who come to China. The research work that follows will give a summary of its appearance, the composition and the materials used, the subject content of the work and the historical context in relation to the work. The Terracotta Army looked like a square pyramid. The Emperor planned to create the terracotta army to be a representation of the emperor’s kingdom. Its overall appearance is like a group of different ranks of soldiers in a parade, all standing in different postures receiving orders from their commanders and all are ready for any encounter. The inside of the pyramid-like mound was the army, divided according to rank. There are several pits, where each pit contains army of different ranks (Portal 31). The first pit consists of the main army. It is built with small bricks and fitted with wooden ceiling covered with mats and clay to waterproof. The second pit consists of cavalry and infantry units and the war chariots that were seen as the military guard. The third pit was the commanding base of the army. It had the highest rank of officers and war chariot. There was also a fourth pit but it was empty. It is believed that the Empire died before its completion. The pits also contained swords, shields and arrowheads. According to the ancient manufacturers, the weapons had to have the name of the manufacturers and date (Capek 20). These discovered weapons had date and manufacturers’ dates, which means they were the original weapons used during the reign of the first empire. Web. 22 March 2013, from < http://www.jingdaily.com/kaizhi/jing/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/xian_terracotta_army-380x253.jpg> There were many discoveries in the pyramid-like hill. Each pit contained many different sculptures that ranged from, spears, swords and crossbows. There were also mud sculptures of armies in different size, shape and location. There were also other objects like arrowheads, shields and battle- axes. The material used to mould the army was mud that was extracted near the tomb of the emperor (Portal 204). The sword’s surface, according to scientific tests, is made of chromium that was used to prevent rusting. The crossbows and the arrowheads were all modeled, molded, casted and later finished. Their surfaces also were plaited with chromium, which made them hard and shiny Capek 22). The warriors and the chariots in the first pit are well displayed for an encounter. The soldiers are in front in three equally numbered lines followed by the chariots. There are also other soldiers on the southern and northern sides. The other soldiers are on the western side where one group faces the west and the other faces the east some armed with armor and the others with a battle robe (Larmer). The setting of the soldiers in the second pit is different from that in the first pit. The second pit’s soldiers hold crossbows. The soldiers in the center are in squatting position. There are three soldiers on each side of the chariots, which are pulled by sculpted horses. The swords in this pit are sharp and elegant due to the chromium on their surface. The soldiers in this pit are displayed in a style that shows their readiness for any battle. There being placed in the eastward side is significant in that, Qin, the emperor, came from the west and defeated his rivals who came from the east. That is why the army is placed on the eastern side of the tomb block any revenge from the east (High Museum). The third pit is a command base. The soldiers in this pit are made of clay. They stand in a battle style ready for any encounter. The real weapons that were used in battle are preserved here (Capek 22). Most of the warriors in this pit have no heads. It is not clear why the soldiers have no heads, but it is assumed that they formerly had no heads. This pit is termed as the base of the terracotta army. It is the pit from where the other soldiers would receive orders. Web. 22 March 2013, from < http://arts.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/upload/upfiles/2011-01/04/the_warrior_emperor_and_chinas_terracotta_army_set_to_conquer_montreal_in_february_201149df013dfd249e844fa5.jpg> The above work dwells on the subject of Art. The development art in architecture and plumbing is evident in the creation of the Qin’s tomb. There was a lot of art was used in refining the gold and bronze used in the construction of the underground palace (Capek 56). The techniques used here were very high. The construction of The Great wall of China (Portal 64) was a great advancement in the architectural development. It was an innovative plan of the emperor to construct the wall to prevent attacks from his rival states. The wall became too tall for their rivals to attack. The art of the time led to the major achievements made by Qin’s empire. The art of modeling and molding and sculpture work is evident in creating the terracotta army, which the research shows, was made from clay or yellow earth from a nearby mountain. The people in China that time were well equipped when it came to art. A great number of army was molded within a short duration and this showed the great advancement in art and design. There is a lot of creativity in the way the army terracotta was formed (Capek 49), the research found that no one looked like the other and the dressing was different. This brings out the creativity in the Chinese Art. The historical art context of the terracotta army of china is brought out in different ways. The Chinese artisans became the first to create a free- standing statue (Larmer). The particular parts of the body were carved and others molded then later joined to the other parts to form a complete structure. The structure was then exposed to high temperatures for their final stage (Imperial tours). This is an art history because it was an unsolved problem in the world of art. The creation of almost eight thousand images of terracotta army, chariots and horses in such a short period became a history in the art world. Molding the armies using mud was an uneasy job to be done in a shorter period, regarding the output of the work. It laid history in the Art world (Capek 28). The way the soldiers are depicted in terracotta army of china through the art of curving is different from the wait is done in other states, for example the Greco-Roman. Chinese Art presents an army as its work suggest. The postures that are presented in the terracotta army makes them look like real army and this calls for the fear one would have when they meet the real army. This differs in the way they are portrayed by the Greco-roman (Larissa Archer’s “Vaulting Ambition”). Conclusion The Chinese art history is generally a milestone ahead, regarding all the work done by the earlier men in history. The size of the emperor’s mausoleum was big enough to house even other buildings, horse stables and cemeteries (K. Kris Hirst). The presentation of an underground replica of a palace has never been done in other countries in history. The art history was set at a higher level through the work done by the men in this empire. The art history of China has not been challenged by any other country because, there have not emerged other discoveries in the world of art that can be compared to the progress made in Chinese Art history. Work Cited Capek, Michael. Emperor Qins Terra Cotta Army. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books, 2008. Internet resource. Larmer, Brook. Terra-Cotta Army: True Colors. National Geographic. Web. 22 March 2013. Portal, Jane, and Hiromi Kinoshita. The First Emperor: Chinas Terracotta Army. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2007. Print. Read More