Bronze Chariot
Two bronze chariots and horses
were unearthed west of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor
of Qin in December, 1980. The rear one of the two has
been restored to its original shape, and has been on display
so as to satisfy the fervent wishes of the masses of visitors.
This was a comfortable imperial
carriage with a team of four horses, 3.17m. in length
and 1.04m. in height with a single shaft, two wheels and
a raised coach body divided into front and back chambers.
There is a coach door on the left side of the front chamber,
inside of which is a pottery figure of a warrior in a
kneeling position. Its image is true to life and its expression
is vivid. In the bottom of the back chamber are railings
on the four sides. The railings extend beyond the chamber,and
a fixed elliptic coach roof rests on them. At the back
is a single coach door, which can be opened or closed
freely. There is a coach window on each of the front,
the left and the right sides. On the window are holes
of decorative patterns ingeniously constructed. The windows
also open and close easily. In front of the chariot stand
four horses with accurate shapes powerful physiques. The
chariot, horses and pottery figure were completly painted,
and exquisitely and beautifully decorated. Varieties of
one-ldgged Chinese dragons and various kinds of geometric
figures decorate the coach body both inside and outside.
The coloured drawings, simple but elegant , and with gold
and silver ornaments to match, look luxurious and solemn.
The chariot, the horses and
the pottery figure of a warrior were moulded by casting.
Then they were filed smooth, polished, punched and mortised
and were processed in other details. The techniques of
inlay casting, welding, riveting, joining with hinges,
fixing with pegs and nails and so on were applied. Thus
many parts were put together to form the whole chariot,
the joining being masterly.
The discovery of the two
chariot has provided a material object as a valuable cxample
for the studise of the society of the Qin Dynasty and
the system of chariots and dresses of the ancient Chinese
emperors. The high skill in the making of this chariot
displays the outstanding creative power of the labouring
people in ancient China 2,000 years ago.
