Terracotta Warriors

We visited the Pacific Science Center to see the Terracotta Warriors. There is a traveling exhibit from China. We saw this great IMAX movie describing how the warriors were found, who the first emperor was, and the extent and significance of the find.

We then went downstairs to see the exhibit. Wow! This was really a special display.

there were wooden bits that have now rotted away. This is why the hands are often in these sort of LEGO poses. Some warriors held crossbows (from ~200 BC!), others pikes and bows.

The faces of the warriors are incredibly life-like and each is different. It is as if a mask were made of each warriors in the army and copy made in terracotta. We only saw a few warriors but I can imagine that seeing hundreds would be a bit overwhelming.

The statues are over six feet tall, much taller than the people of that time. I suppose that was to insure that the emperor had the best army ever in heaven.

I did not keep notes on which statue represented what sort of role in the army, I was captivated by the serenity and dignity of the statues.

The emperor took not only fighters, but also bureaucrats to take care of the logistics. thes fellow below is one of those auxiliaries.

There were also some smaller bits from other related periods that were eaually impressive.

It was a truly impressive exhibit. If it appears in a city near you (DC, maybe?) definitely plan to visit.