Ten life-size terracotta figures, including warriors and a cavalry horse, that protected the tomb of China’s First Emperor marched into Richmond as part of Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China. The exhibition will showcase more than 130 works of art, drawn from the collections of 14 art museums and archaeological institutes across the Shaanxi province in China, and tells the story of how the Qin state developed into an empire under Ying Zheng (259-210 BC), who unified China and declared himself Qin Shihuang, or the First Emperor of Qin. The exhibit, which includes more than 40 objects never shown before in the United States, will be on display at VMFA from November 18, 2017 to March 11, 2018.
The terracotta figures are among the estimated 8,000 life-size sculptures of warriors, chariots, and horses that were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong District, outside Xi’an, in the Shaanxi province of China.
John and I enjoyed a Members Only Monday evening showing which made it even more special.
