writing
necolas00073
politicalauthority1.pptx
Political Authority I
ARTH120Z
8/30/21
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Key points
Why were so many terracotta soldiers made and buried in the tomb of the First Emperor of Qin? Why were they so life-like and individualized?
How and by whom were the terracotta soldiers made?
What does the necropolis of Qin Shihuangdi tell us about his vision of himself, his ruling, and his empire?
Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE)
First unified state in China with centralized power
Follows:
Neolithic period
Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE)
Zhou Dynasty (c. 1050-221 BCE)
Warring States Period (c. late 5th century -221BCE)
Quickly collapsed after the death of the first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi (r. 259–210BCE)
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Established a central bureaucracy, an administrative system that was efficiently maintained by expanded networks of roads and canals
Many construction projects including the first Great Wall
Absolute monarchy with draconian laws controlling taxation, population, and ideas
Standardized the Chinese life—weight, measurements, currency, writing system
Qin Shihuangdi (r. 259-210BCE)
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Burial mound of Qin Shihuangdi. Discovered in 1974, excavation still ongoing
When did the construction begin?
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Plan of Qin Shihuangdi’s necropolis
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… more than 700,000 conscripts from all parts of country worked there. They dug through three subterranean streams and poured molten copper for the outer coffin, and the tomb was filled with models of palaces, pavilions and offices, as well as fine vessels, precious stones and rarities… all the country’s streams, the Yellow River and the Yangzi were reproduced in mercury and by some mechanical means made to flow into a miniature ocean. The heavenly constellations were shown above and the regions of the earth below. The candles were made of whale oil to ensure their burning for the longest possible time.
-- Sima Qian (c. 145-186 BCE) , Records of the Grand Historian
Terracotta figures representing officials
War Chariot (first chariot) in bronze
Bronze crane
Terracotta “strongman”
An ambitious diorama of the Qin Empire…
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Terracotta soldiers in the Army pits
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The Terracotta Army, Pit 1
6000+ soldiers, standing in military/battle position with real weapons
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Pit 1: The largest; perhaps representing the emperor’s main army
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2nd pit: ˜1300 figures, specialized forces—archers, chariots, cavalries
3rd: the headquarters? 68 soldiers
Soldiers standing, facing each other—as if they are about to greet their commander
Also includes a chariot painted with lacquer and covered by a canopy
Emphasis on the military—Why?
Horseman, 5th–3rd century BCE. Painted earthenware, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, H: 23.5 cm (11 inches)
Disk (bi), Liangzhu culture (excavated 1936), ca. 2700–2500 BCE. Nephrite. Diam. 21.3 cm.
Square Tube (cong) with masks, Liangzhu culture, China. ca. 3300-2250 BCE. Nephrite. H. 47.2cm
Burying objects and figurines in tombs—a tradition in China
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How are these two artifacts similar to and different from one another?
Horseman, 5th–3rd century BCE. H: 23.5 cm
Life-size terracotta representation of cavalryman and horse from Army Pit 2, c. 210 BCE
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Sculpted in the round
Striking naturalism. Notice the details!
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Originally colored in lacquer colors—adding to the lifelike quality
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Great attention to the face, the hairdo, and the torso—not so much with the legs
Individual “portraits” of the emperor’s soldiers?
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How was this emphasis on individuality achieved?
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Types of Parts :
Plinth (3)
Legs under armor (2)
Position of feet (2)
Shoes & boots (7)
Torso (8)
Armor (2 x3)
Arms (2?)
Hands (2)
Head (8)
Modular Production
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Body parts made in multiple molds—maximizing the variety of completed parts
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Workshop stamps—what would they have been used for?
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A strictly standardized production, a well-ordered and intentional arrangements of space and objects inside, a pronounced emphasis on the military…
What does this monument say about Qin Shihuangdi’s vision of himself, his ruling, and his empire?
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