Jane Portal

In 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well near the known site of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang (260-210 B.C.), the first emperor of China, found a pit which contained thousands of terra cotta soldiers. Chinese archaeologists later excavated several more pits and found other figures including chariots with horses, officials, musicians, entertainers and even birds. These figures were mass produced and painted, then placed in the underground temple areas to protect and entertain the emperor in his afterlife. Contemporary accounts do describe the tomb and complex but do not mention the warriors.

In March of 2010, the National Geographic Society brought an exhibit of the warriors to Washington and this book is the companion to that event. After a short history of the emperor’s life and descriptions of the various pits associated with the tomb, author Jane Portal describes the warriors in detail including theories of construction. Unfortunately the paint applied after the figures were cast deteriorated when exposed to the air so the figures appear gray with a bit of color here and there. And many of the figures are missing the weapons they carried. The warriors and other figures are life sized and extremely detailed. There are different facial features and hairstyles which are described and illustrated with excellent photographs. Especially interesting is the bronze bird along with a terra cotta musician found in another pit.

In addition to photographs and the history, Portal lists a bibliography of English language sources for those who want to find out more about the subject. For those in the West who missed the traveling exhibit from China and who are unable to travel to China to see the warriors in Xi’an, this book will showcase the majesty of these figures. And the story is not ended. Chinese archaeologists still have not excavated the tomb of the emperor and there are other sites of interest in the burial complex. Who knows what exciting relics they will find in the coming years… (meer)