The Army of Terracotta Warriors of China

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The Terracotta Warriors of China are an astonishing accomplishment even in today's setting. The detail of the statues and number of warriors that were made are a monumental feat. Made by 87 hand selected master artisans with red clay, each very distinct from the other during 221 BC to 231 BC make this even more amazing. The tools they lacked and the materials available at the time adds to the astonishment of today's specialist. Hand tools were used to carve details in to the clay and paint was used to add color to create a life like appearance. The Terracotta Warriors where very unique in the way that they were constructed. They were built from the bottom up, using ‘Clay Coiling’, adding layers upon layers of clay to the individual masterpieces. ‘Clay Coiling’ consists of: Taking a flat slab of clay, cutting it into long narrow strips, than rolling the strips until they where “soft and smooth”. Finally, after the cutting and rolling is complete one (or more) of the artisans would take the coiled strips of clay and add them to the statue, then other artisans would smooth out the roundness of the layer and then begin to shape designs into the clay. Then they would bake the clay men in a type of kiln. After the men were fired in the kiln, they where fully painted in bright colors and sealed the paint with lacquer. The construction, painting, and lacquering processes are interesting but the uniqueness of this garrison is also very interesting. The Army of Terracotta Warriors are the only army of it’s kind. The only army of 8,000 that had 870 people working on it for 12 years. The only infantry to have all of it’s individuals have unique features. Each one crafted totally different that their comrades. The creators’ did not use... ... middle of paper ... ...d timeless. Works Cited "The Terracotta Army." ChinaHighlights. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. http://www.chinahighlights.com/xian/terracotta-army/. "Video -- Terra Cotta Warriors -- National Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/history-kids/terracotta-warriors-mazzatenta-kids/. “Terracotta Warriors, Terracotta Army, Terra Cotta Soldiers, Xian China." Terracotta Warriors, Terracotta Army, Terra Cotta Soldiers, Xian China. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/. "China's Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor's Legacy at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts." China's Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor's Legacy at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. http://www.artsmia.org/terracotta-warriors/

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