The Terracotta Army is comprised of thousands of life-size clay molded sculptures that have been guarding Qinshihuang’s mausoleum since 246 BC. The Terracotta Army and mausoleum’s construction took nearly 36 years and over 700,000 laborers to complete. Lost to history for over 2,000 years, the site was discovered accidentally in 1974 by a group of farmers digging a well. Since the initial discovery, archeologists have uncovered over 7,000 warriors, 600 horses, and 100 chariots. Research has shown that each soldier, horse, and chariot found near the mausoleum were individually crafted and vibrantly painted. Each sculpture is unique and exhibits immense detail—treads on footwear, different hairstyles, and distinctive facial expressions. Much to archeologists’ surprise, no two soldiers are the same.
The Kneeling Archer is a 2/3 scale replica of the world-famous Kneeling Archer on display in Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi’an, China. Based on the statue’s gestures, historians have concluded that the sculpture is an archer. The Kneeling Archers found near the mausoleum would have been holding their original weapons—a wooden crossbow. Over time, it is likely that the crossbows have deteriorated and are now lost.
