Exhibition Guide
Two Foot Soldiers
Audio
Looking with a Military Historian
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Art Object Info
Warfare was nearly continuous throughout the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE). Western Han armies were based on the model of infantries accompanied by chariots and cavalry, which had been used by the earlier Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE). Following the example of the First Qin Emperor, members of the Western Han elite were accompanied in death by armies of sculpted soldiers, which not only indicated the earthly status of the deceased, but also ensured the tombs’ ongoing protection. The sculpted armies of the Western Han were smaller in number and size than those of the earlier Qin dynasty. They were also less detailed.
Art Object Info
Warfare was nearly continuous throughout the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE). Western Han armies were based on the model of infantries accompanied by chariots and cavalry, which had been used by the earlier Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE). Following the example of the First Qin Emperor, members of the Western Han elite were accompanied in death by armies of sculpted soldiers, which not only indicated the earthly status of the deceased, but also ensured the tombs’ ongoing protection. The sculpted armies of the Western Han were smaller in number and size than those of the earlier Qin dynasty. They were also less detailed.