“Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor,” a current exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, unveils some of the mysteries surrounding the clay army.
Built in approximately 210BC by Ch’in Shih Huang Ti, the first emperor of China, the stone army was created to protect him in the afterlife. Soon after his death, the palace protecting his tomb was burned to the ground by a conquering emperor. Over the centuries the location of the royal burial site was forgotten.
In 1974, farmers digging a water well found a layer of pottery shards that led to the discovery of a silent army of more than 8,000. It was one of the world’s most incredible archeological finds.
Not only do you come face to face with 15 of the actual statues, but the Houston exhibit tells their story from construction to recovery. The emperor had several factories producing the soldiers, horses, chariots, musicians, and other individuals needed to run a government in the afterlife, giving each a unique face. There were also bronze statues and figures of birds in the pits.
The detail on the statues is intricate without being too finely cut. The design of the soldiers’ square clay boots includes the straps and knots that hold them together. Originally, the statues were brilliantly painted, but the colors faded rapidly after being exposed to the atmosphere.
The fire that consumed the necropolis, which is said to have burned for three months, also crushed and buried the army. All but 100 of the statues were smashed to pieces. In what must be the world’s biggest jigsaw puzzle, about a thousand have been rebuilt so far.
This exhibit validates the accuracy of the replica of the ancient army at the Forbidden Gardens Chinese cultural museum in Katy. Opened in 1997 by Houston businessman Ira P.H. Poon, the Texas display is about one-third the size of the original and still covers more than an acre. Of course, the museum also covers much more of Chinese history than is told in the traveling exhibit. Together, the two exhibits complement their individual views of a distant culture.
The terra-cotta warriors will be at the Houston Museum of Natural Science through Oct. 18. The museum is also presenting an exhibition on Genghis Khan through Sept. 7. For information, call 713/639-4629 or go to www.hmns.org.
The Forbidden Gardens is located at 23500 Franz Rd., about a mile north of I-10 at the Grand Parkway exit west of Houston in Katy. You can visit Friday through Sunday from 10am to 3:30pm, with tours at 11am, noon, 1, 2, and 3pm. Most of the exhibits are outdoors, so tours can be canceled because of inclement weather. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. For more information, call 281/347-8000 or go to www.forbidden-gardens.com.
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This article appears in June 26 • 2009.
