The Longmen Caves: Terracotta Warriors In China

South and East Asian art, especially sculptures, never fails to impress. Many of them are extremely grand in scope, yet every slight detail is accounted for. Few areas in the world can claim to have grander pieces of sculpture and art then South and East Asian Art. Oftentimes, a piece of art is commissioned by a person of high status and power, in order to show off their wealth. This is especially true for the famous Terracotta Warriors, a series of thousands of statues made from terracotta located in Xi’an, China. Works of art were made in a specific location in order to integrate with its surroundings, making it site art. Not only is this exemplified in the Terracotta Warriors; the Longmen Caves represents another example of site art. Contrarily,

The warriors were all originally located in Xi’an, in Shangxi Province and started to be excavated right after local farmers discovered them in 1973. To everyone’s amazement, there were thousands upon thousands of terracotta warriors, horses, carriages, and many more treasures inside the tombs. So far, four giant pits have been excavated by archeologists, with one being empty possibly due to halted construction because of the unrest within the country. Qin Shihaung ordered thousands of workers to work on the project, and it was deemed so secret that all the workers and artisans were sealed inside the tomb with the statues after the construction was finished as to ensure the gold and jewelry also stored within wouldn’t be stolen by pillagers. Qin Shihuang was the first emperor of China, the first person to organize all the different warring factions into a single coherent country. Qin Shihuang was completely obsessed with immortality, and sought to become “immortal” after death, or to live on. This desire eventually manifested itself in the form of a self-designed mausoleum, where the famous “Terracotta Warriors” lie. He began planning this tomb since the beginning of his reign, at the mere age of 13 years

The process to create it is long and requires a lot of patience. To create it, first, a pure white clay called kaolin is mixed with ground petuntse and is used to create the basic shape of the vase. Then, blue cobalt and mineral colors is painted onto the clay surface to create intricate designs, and then a clear glaze is brushed onto the vase to help preserve it. However, only a few colors are possible because the raw materials must withstand intense heat. Finally it was fired at 1300 degrees Celsius in earth kilns. The vases are covered in traditional Chinese motifs, such as a prominent dragon on the front of both vases. These may suggest the donor’s high status. Additionally, the dragon represents the ‘yang’, the Chinese principle of active masculine energy. On the bottom, there is a floral design, and the neck and the very top are covered in intricate vines. On the middle of the neck is an inscription that exactly dates the vase to the Yuan dynasty. Originally, both of the vases had handles, but one handle broke off in the seven centuries from its creation to now. Chinese art does not limit the creativity and valuable items and many techniques and styles can be reflected by Korean