A battalion of warriors has made its way to the nation’s capital, these ones made of clay.
National Geographic Museum’s latest exhibition, “Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor,” is a stunning collection of artifacts from China, featuring the largest number of terra cotta figures ever to travel to the United States.
The exhibition, which opens to the public Thursday and runs through March 31, includes 15 life-size terra cotta warrior figures from the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi, who ruled China from 221 B.C. to 210 B.C.
“I’m thrilled,” said Susan Norton, the director of the museum. “I think visitors will be able to enjoy it on so many levels.”
The exhibit includes a number of artifacts, but the highlight is the warrior statues themselves. A subterranean vault that held thousands of these life-size terra cotta warrior figures was discovered by farmers in 1974. The statues were part of the emperor’s tomb and buried with him to serve him in the afterlife.
One of the reasons the exhibit is even possible is the recent expansion of the museum’s space, which incorporated a section of the building that once included a studio for the National Geographic Channel television station. With the extra space, the terra cotta warrior exhibit is approximately 12,000 square feet.
“The timing was perfect to use [the additional space] for this particular exhibit,” said Richard McWalters, director of exhibits for the museum. “If we had had half the space, we might not have been able to have the exhibit.”
The additional space not only let McWalters and his crew fit in more pieces, there’s more space around the works. The result presents a comfortable flow, free of crowding while also being able to tell a story.
“I’m very pleased with the way things turned out,” said McWalters, who has worked with National Geographic since 1988. He added that the fragility of the pieces on display combined with their size made for a unique challenge, but he was confident in his team. “I have a very talented group of people.”
The exhibit starts by telling the story of the terra cotta warriors and the history of Emperor Shihuangdi. The tour then culminates in a large exhibition space with some of the terra cotta figures. The size and layout of the room lend credence to the legend of the figures, which are about 6 feet tall and weigh hundreds of pounds.
“There’s a lot to tell in this story, and we wanted to tell it in a very compelling way,” said Norton, who has served as director since 1995.
Plans for the exhibit began in June of 2007.
“It’s definitely the longest lead time we’ve had for an exhibit here,” Norton said.
It also continues the curiosity the West has had with China the past few years, he added.
“There was so much exposure to China by the Western world,” Norton said. “There’s so much history, people are fascinated by China. There’s such a history there.”
