National Geographic Museum Blog

A Terra Cotta Warrior

In conjunction with its upcoming exhibition Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, National Geographic Museum is running a photo challenge to find your very best terra cotta warrior photographs. Have you visited the First Emperor’s tomb in Xian, China? Do you have fantastic photographs of the warriors, horses, chariots, or any of the remarkable archaeological finds? Submit your photos here.

Please upload photos that match our theme and continue to check back. We will periodically review the images and select photos to feature on our blog and the best photo will featured at the museum during the exhibition!

Terra Cotta Warriors will be on view in Washington, DC from November 19, 2009 – March 31, 2010.

Submit your entry here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1067468@N21/

Fast Fact Mondays will provide obscure and sometimes useless, but always interesting, tidbits about the terra cotta warriors. Check back every Monday for new facts.

1. The First Emperor’s birth name was Ying Zheng.
2. When the First Emperor ascended the throne upon the death of his father, he was only 13 years old.
3. The First Emperor created the title of “emperor” and all subsequent rulers of China used the title.
4. The positions of the bodies and hands of the warriors indicate which type of weapons they used.
5. The First Emperor was paranoid and is thought to have slept in a different palace every night to avoid assassination attempts.

Terra Cotta Heads

In conjunction with its upcoming exhibition Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, National Geographic Museum is running a photo challenge to find your very best terra cotta warrior photographs. The above entry is one of our top contenders. The inter play between the light and the stone caters to our perceptions in encountering the warriors. Their rich history and academic uncertainty creates questions, a little fear and a real sense of intrigue exactly like the photo shown here.

Terra Cotta Warriors will be on view in Washington, DC from November 19, 2009 – March 31, 2010.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science will host the warriors before they trek over to our museum in DC. As a preview of the exhibit, they have asked their curator Dirk Von Tuerenhout to give a short review and history of the exhibit.

Sometimes, the National Geographic Museum staff delves into new art forms. Creating exhibits can  be tedious and to relieve the boredom they like to play with Peeps.

Their “Peepacotta Warriors” can be found here. Take a moment and vote this display into the “Peeples Choice” category!

In conjunction with its upcoming exhibition Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, National Geographic Museum is running a photo challenge to find your very best terra cotta warrior photographs. Have you visited the First Emperor’s tomb in Xian, China? Do you have fantastic photographs of the warriors, horses, chariots, or any of the remarkable archaeological finds? Submit your photos here.

Please upload photos that match our theme and continue to check back. We will periodically review the images and select photos to feature on our blog and the best photo will featured at the museum during the exhibition!

Terra Cotta Warriors will be on view in Washington, DC from November 19, 2009 – March 31, 2010.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/terracottawarriors/