We were recently able to visit the Bower Museum’s Warriors : Tombs and Temples. If the exhibit comes to a museum near you, be sure to visit! It was an awesome exhibit!
The tour started out with a brief history of the three dynasties featured in the exhibit.
The Qin Dynasty
The Han Dynasty
and The Tang Dynasty
The exhibit featured several of the famous life-sized terra cotta soldiers found protecting Emperor Qin’s tomb (which the Chinese government has deemed too sacred to breech).
The size of the figures are impressive as is the individuality of each figure. Every face different!
The burial pits featured not only soldiers, but also life-sized horses.
Fighting my way through a crowd of boys, I found a case filled with weapons found in the pits with the soldiers.
Since the Terra Cotta Soldiers have been discovered, many other Tombs have been uncovered. Turns out Emperor Qin was not too popular a person. He did much to unify China, but wasn’t above high taxes and working people to death. So after his death, other tombs were protected by smaller armies---about two feet in height—as a protest to Qin’s extravagant burial.
Like Egyptians’ belief in the afterlife, the Chinese believed the dead would need everything they had during their earthly life in the next life.
So they were buried with stoves,
vessels, and farm animals (as well as farmers!).
Next we entered a Tang Dynasty princess’ tomb full of amazing pieces of art.
An amazing time was had by all at this amazing exhibit.
