Terracotta warriors

The original Terracotta warriors are priceless treasures.  We source the modern reproductions, which are very good quality and hard to come by.  These reproductions are true to the originals down to the smallest detail. 

The following history is drawn from Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses at the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, compiled by the archeological team of pit of terra-cotta figures at Qin Shi Huang Mausiloneum and The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta figures, Cultural relics Publishing House 1983.

The tumulus of Qin Shi Huang (The first Chinese Emperor, also known as the Yellow Emperor) contained more over 7000 terracotta warriors in armour  (1000 of them lifesize), about 600 horses, 100 war charriots and about 10 000 bronze weapons. 

It was discovered in March 1974 when members of the Xiyang village, Yanzhai Rural Commune, Lintong County, Shaanxi Province were digging a well.

The warriors were found arranged in ancient Chinese battle formation and give realistic depictions of military equipment, and even of the features of individual soldiers at the time of the State of Qin. 

The artists strictly modelled portraits of real warrors and horses so that a genuine likeness of real persons was captured.

The warriors and the horses were a sacrifice to the dead emperor.

Before the emergence of clay figures, slave owners were buried with real slaves as sacrifices.  By the time of the Spring, Autumn and Warring Kingdoms, burials underwent change following the changes in social structure, and clay figures became used as substitutes.  This is why accurate portraits of historical individuals were created.

Qin Shi Huang  (247 - 219BC) united China into a vast empire, standardized the system of writing Chinese characters, and units of measurement, and brought about the Qin Dynasty.