China's ancient warriors unveiled in Santa Ana

The largest-ever display of the terra cotta warriors from Xian, China, opens today at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, Diane Haithman reports.

"...an army of ancient Chinese soldiers who were buried for 2,000 years will march into Santa Ana's Bowers Museum, the result of the largest loan of terra cotta figures and artifacts to visit the United States since their astonishing 1974 discovery."

Actually, the 14 life-size human figures were already in town, having landed May 4 at Ontario International Airport and been transported, complete with police and helicopter escort, to the museum. The warriors -- not only fighters but also court officials, acrobats and generals, though no females -- will be on display through Oct. 12 in "Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor," a sample of the contents of the vast tomb complex of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

The warriors came toting plenty of "luggage" that would never fit in the overhead compartment: about 100 sets of objects including weapons and armor. Also on board: a life-sized terra cotta cavalry horse, as well as a bronze crane and swan.

More about the exhibit in Diane's full story. Great photo gallery here. Want tickets? Here's how.

--Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Wang Da-Gang

Comments

[jeffs]

Having seen the originals in Xian, thousands of them looking up at you, all different, is situ, no way 14 can give a sense of what it's like -- but maybe with good background full-screen backdrop, etc., lighting, it can be a start. Still, it's an amazing undertaking to get the things here.

I saw the Dead Sea Scrolls and Tibetan blockbusters, Etruscan etc. -- this little museum does a lot with its location and space. Very heavily influenced by a Chinese curator and Board. The Tibetan Exhibit therefore lacked cultural context, as artifacts of a people occupied by the Chinese -- still, for those who can't travel, these are a good op.