Terracotta Army Puts Block in Blockbuster
by Zoe Strimpel
Thu, 3 Apr 2008
At last, admission to the sold-out Terracotta Army show at the British
Museum. This exhibit put the "block" in blockbuster, and getting in
normally requires lining up for hours to claim one of the 500 tickets set aside each day.
Was it worth the hype? Kind of. The exhibit is situated under the dome in the Museum's heavenly but dimly lit reading room, which has been
temporarily converted for this purpose. The first half is devoted to the
industry of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Dense rows of cases show artifacts and models charting the (swift) development of weaponry and architecture under Qin's reign (221-210 B.C.E.). It's all a bit of a scrum — lots of people slowly working there way through a small space, gawking without necessarily knowing why.
Then, the piece de resistance. On a large stage, surrounded by screens
showing the terracotta throng in their original location at Xi'an, China, stand a couple dozen members of the army. Emperor Qin was obsessed with universal, eternal life (and rule) and the meticulousness, enormity, and complexity of his terracotta companions for the afterlife are truly amazing. There are guards and horsemen, chariots with sun umbrellas, gentry and bureaucrats, birds, swans, and acrobats for amusement.
But the constant beaming of the collection at Xi'an reinforces the sense
that while this collection is special, the real deal is far and away more impressive. Thing is, for most people in England, Bloomsbury is more accessible than China. If you're in London, it's certainly worth a visit, and even a good bit of "queuing." But hurry — the exhibit ends on April 6.
London Arts & Letters Homepage
|
Print
Send
RSS
