The Terracotta Army
Lintong District | Xi’an, China
“Walking into the pits in Xi’an is a surreal encounter with the ancient world. You are standing before thousands of faces, yet no two are the same. It is a silent, clay army—a study in individual artistry at an imperial scale—feeling as though it is simply waiting for a command to wake up.”
— 2014 Trip
Summary
Mass
Artistry
Documented in 2014, this study examines the Necropolis of Qin Shi Huang. The collection focuses on the tension between mass production and individual identity—where a modular system of 700,000 laborers produced thousands of unique, hand-finished soldiers. It is a record of an imperial vanguard designed for the afterlife, standing as a masterclass in ancient logistics and sculptural scale.
Technical Details
- Location: Lintong District, Xi’an
- Era: Qin Dynasty (210–209 BCE)
- Material: Terracotta (fired clay)
- Scale: ~8,000 Soldiers / 3 Pits