VMFA: Terracotta Army Exhibit
Tyler Gaines, staff writer
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, located in Richmond, Virginia, is home to a wide variety of artwork locally and internationally, including the Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China. This exhibition lasted from Nov. 17, 2017, through March 11, 2018. The exhibition referenced the dynasties in power when the Terracotta Army figures were constructed.
A tour scheduled for March 4, 2018, provided an opportunity for a popular Sunday outing. Crowds of people poured into the exhibition. For those who enjoy listening to tour guides, the museum offered an optional auditory guide. The tour was setup in a maze-like setting, sectioning off certain areas of the exhibition cleverly building up anticipation for the end. To kick things off, visitors could observe how the army, chariots, and equipment were set up and decorated with valuable currency and creatures significant to Chinese mythology.
The second portion of the tour featured some common household items, like wine carriers, gutters for houses, and helmets for soldiers. Many people viewed the various objects and contemplated what they meant in context to the Qin dynasty. The materials used to make these items made them last hundreds of years. The objects displayed intentional and innovative designs even in the most mundane tools.
Finally, the last area of the tour included the Terracotta Army.
According to the tour descriptions, they excavated the delicate and sturdy figures around 1974. An estimated 8,000 of the soldiers surrounded the grave of the Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China. They depicted the army in great detail, and some posed in their given roles.
Photography by Tyler Gaines
Unfortunately, most of these statutes suffered from water damage over the years and are severely damaged. However, the museum has restored most of them and years later the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang was transformed into a museum in 1979.
The tour at the Virginia Museum of Arts had 10 to 15 soldiers on display. The whole exhibition brought in a consistently large crowd with people eager to observe these immortal warriors. The whole exhibition brought in a consistently large crowd with people eager to observe these immortal warriors.
