The Terracotta Army

The British Museum is currently holding an exhibition of the First Emperor and the Terracotta Army. The exhibition isn't cheap, but is well worth the entrance price. The story is entirely engaging - the reality of these figures is inspiring. The information provided covers the mundane to esoteric, For example, the enterprise was almost certainly the first example of mass production techniques. The clay warriors were fashioned in factories that used to make drainpipes, so all the legs are basically drainpipes.

It does get crowded, but if you walk around rather than stand in line, you will find that just about everything is accessible. Most (all?) of the stuff has been sent over from Chinese museums, and provided invaluable background to the time of the First Emperor but I was amused by the attention everyone was giving to it - which they would never have done in the ordinary way in a museum. Maybe it was because they had paid.

Two more pictures here.