Witness to China's Qin Terracotta Warrior Army>>Terracotta Figures Original Color

 

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Terracotta Figures Original Color

 

The Qin's terracotta figures were originally painted with bright and colourful pigments. After the sculptures were baked in the kiln, they were first covered with a lacquer ground and then painted with pigments in one or two layers.

 

The Possible Bold Color Schemes of Qin Terracotta Figures

 

According to a recent study, the bold and strong contrasted color scheme merely shows the aesthetics ideas of ancient Chinese people rather than indicating rank or unit. This may reveal that the royal army may not be provided with uniforms. Instead, all fighters from ordinary soldiers to generals could prepare their own tunics and war robe themselves according some guidances and rules.

However modern visitors can not immediately perceive this from the brown clay models as the terra-cotta figures have gone through a natural process of 2200 years decay, the lacquer cracks and peels off once the warriors were exposure to the air taking any remaining pigment with it.

Despite of this, a few traces of paint still remain and provide clues to the original gorgeous colors. Terracotta Figures were found to be painted in red, green, blue, yellow, purple, brown, white, black, pink, vermilion, etc. The pigments were artificially produced from cinnabar, malachite and azurite as well as barium copper silicate.

 

A Few Traces of Original Paint on Terracotta Figures Still Remain

 

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