Art and Culture
Even though Han writing only shows a little about their daily life, the tombs tell us quite a lot. The Hans buried clay models of their homes and belongings, including little clay furniture and little lamps.
A lot was lost during book burnings in the Qin Dynasty and the people tried to replace the writings, especially works of Confucius. They created new literature and music. Beautiful murals and scroll painting began, craftsmen made jewelry, carvings, gold ornaments and delicate works of art. Glazed pottery was brightly painted with hunting scenes, mountains, trees, dragons and tigers.
Artefact 1: The Terracotta Warrior - Kneeling Figurine
The terracotta warriors were created in the year 210 BC. The 8000 soldiers were made from clay and the figures are life sized varying in height according to their role. They were made by workers and craftsmen who made the body and parts seperately, the faces were added after they were assembled to give them individuality. When they were made they were hand painted in lots of bright colours, red, pink, green, blue and black. The warriors were created for China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, and depicted his powerful army. They were placed in the burial mound with various weapons. They were buried with the emperor when he died and were rediscovered in 1974 by a group of Chinese farmers.
This artefact is valuable to my exhibition because of the magnitude of it, the warriors represent a whole army of this time and shows us how powerful the Chinese Empire was. It also show the skill of the people and the materials they had access to and the time they would have spent on making them. It shows their belief in life after death as the warriors were made to protect the emporer in his afterlife.
A lot was lost during book burnings in the Qin Dynasty and the people tried to replace the writings, especially works of Confucius. They created new literature and music. Beautiful murals and scroll painting began, craftsmen made jewelry, carvings, gold ornaments and delicate works of art. Glazed pottery was brightly painted with hunting scenes, mountains, trees, dragons and tigers.
Artefact 1: The Terracotta Warrior - Kneeling Figurine
The terracotta warriors were created in the year 210 BC. The 8000 soldiers were made from clay and the figures are life sized varying in height according to their role. They were made by workers and craftsmen who made the body and parts seperately, the faces were added after they were assembled to give them individuality. When they were made they were hand painted in lots of bright colours, red, pink, green, blue and black. The warriors were created for China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, and depicted his powerful army. They were placed in the burial mound with various weapons. They were buried with the emperor when he died and were rediscovered in 1974 by a group of Chinese farmers.
This artefact is valuable to my exhibition because of the magnitude of it, the warriors represent a whole army of this time and shows us how powerful the Chinese Empire was. It also show the skill of the people and the materials they had access to and the time they would have spent on making them. It shows their belief in life after death as the warriors were made to protect the emporer in his afterlife.