A COLOURFUL WORLD FOR THE EMPEROR'S SOUL: THE POLYCHROMY OF THE TERRACOTTA SCULPTURES AT QIN SHIHUANG'S BURIAL COMPLEX

The terracotta army from the burial complex of the first Chinese Emperor Qin Shihuang (died 210 BC) is well known as a collection of grey sculptures which appear from the distance to be a uniform troop. All the sculptures, chariots and weapons were originally painted, but the few colours which survived the centuries were lost during excavation. One of the aims of the Chinese-German co-operative project is the difficult task of conserving this polychromy.

Parallel to conservation efforts, analyses of the pigments and their application techniques, and reconstructions of the colour combinations and the elaborately painted patterns, have been undertaken. They have helped provide an understanding of the polychromy as it was originally intended. The polychrome schemes are of extraordinary quality and importance.

They provide insight not only into ancient painting techniques, but also into the style of clothes and uniforms in the ancient state of Qin. Reconstructions of the polychromy on two replicas are an attempt to visualize the original appearance of the figures.