Ever since I was a teenager and saw pictures of them in a National Geographic Book my grandmother got me for Christmas one year, I have been fascinated with the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an.
The army was found in 1974 when some local farmers were drilling a water well. The terra cotta army was created to the guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emporor of China. includes figures of Generals, Acrobats, Horses, Chariots, strongmen, and court officials. I had the opportunity to see a few in an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and they took my breath away. I can’t tell you how excited about the new exhibit “Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor” at Houston’s Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) I am.
And if the pictures that HMNS has posted to it’s flickr feed are any hint, this is going to be a fabulous exhibit! This is definitely a must see for anyone interested in Chinese History or archeology. The exhibition runs from May 22 to October 18, 2009
(All the pictures that follow are used via the following Creative Commons licensing)
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army
http://www.hmns.org/exhibits/special_exhibits/terra_cotta_warriors.asp
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmns/sets/72157617779383237/
Facebook
Twitter