The figures were constructed from separate fragments.A close up of the bottom of a soldier's shoe; great attention was spent on detail.
The construction of the Terra-cotta army plays an important part in its significance as a historical artifact. Through research and analysis historians have discovered that Emperor Qin's statues mark a watershed in Chinese artisanal techniques.
Prior to the Terra-cotta army pottery was fired at relatively low temperatures. Due to the size of these figures, which weigh between 242 and 660 pounds, much stronger furnaces were employed and the figures had to be cast at temperatures of up to 1050 degrees centigrade. Stability was poised by making the legs out of solid clay and the bodies and heads hollowed out. This is also true of the horse statues. The army is one of the oldest instances of assembly line production. Different body parts were made from various molds and then glued together before firing. The heads themselves were made of two molds and then stuck together. What gives each soldier its uniqueness is that facial features were individually added on and sculpted after firing, the same goes for equipment and clothing details. Interestingly, the feet were attached at the ankles by pin joints and still stand today; an early instance of construction analogues to the syntax of the human body.
Prior to the Terra-cotta army pottery was fired at relatively low temperatures. Due to the size of these figures, which weigh between 242 and 660 pounds, much stronger furnaces were employed and the figures had to be cast at temperatures of up to 1050 degrees centigrade. Stability was poised by making the legs out of solid clay and the bodies and heads hollowed out. This is also true of the horse statues. The army is one of the oldest instances of assembly line production. Different body parts were made from various molds and then glued together before firing. The heads themselves were made of two molds and then stuck together. What gives each soldier its uniqueness is that facial features were individually added on and sculpted after firing, the same goes for equipment and clothing details. Interestingly, the feet were attached at the ankles by pin joints and still stand today; an early instance of construction analogues to the syntax of the human body.
Color pigments were mixed with lacquers and painted on after the figures were fired up. A significant pigment used is "Chinese Purple," which was invented by Taoist alchemists to imitate jade. The pigment is used extensively on the Terra-cotta Army, although the recipe was lost, archeologists were able to recreate it through analytical techniques.
Furthermore, Emperor Qin's mausoleum complex marked a change in tomb design and build. Shaft tombs shifted to pits lined with wood and filled with boxes of burial goods, and it also introduced the chamber tomb.
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