|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
Housed in the exhibition hall to the left-hand side of the hangar built over Pit One are two magnificent bronze chariots. Originally buried 20 meters west of the Emperor's mausoleum, two chariots faced west in large 7-meter-long (23 feet in length) and 2.3 meters wide (7.54 feet in width) wooden coffins. They were thought to be half the actual size and were supposed to serve as the vehicle for the emperor's inspection tours in his afterlife. The colorful square carriages are decorated with geometric and cloud patterns. Coachmen armed with swords guard the chariots on both sides.
The No. 1 Chariot, presumably the leading chariot, measured 2.25 meters (7.38 feet) in length, 1 meter (3.27 feet) in height. This chariot often referred to as the "inspection carriage", ran before that of the emperor. The vanguard chariot drawn by four muscular horses, which wear gold girths and facial ornaments, has no compartment with an opening at the rear as an exit. The white-painted horses with tassels hanging down the necks have cropped manes and plaited tails. Their heads are held high and look forward; the horses seem ready to gallop. To accommodate the charioteer, the canopy is correspondingly much higher than that of the No. 2 Chariot. No. 2 Chariot The larger of the two chariots weighs 1,200 kilograms (2,646 pounds), 2.86 meters (9.38 feet) in length and 1.07 meters (3.51 feet) in height. The horses were finely decorated whose harness and reins are inlaid with gold and silver, and each horse wears a halter made of some 84 one-centimeter (0.4 inch) long tubes, fitted one onto another achieving a flexibility close to rope or leather. Called anche (safe chariot), the chariots is thought to serve as Qin Shi Huang's sleeping chariot. Rhombus-shaped lattice windows are set into all four sides of the carriage for ventilation. There is an umbrella like canopy, which extends over the driver to provide shade, roofed the chariot. This symbolizes the round sky and the square earth in line with the ancient Chinese belief about the shape of the universe. All these dimensions suggest to the archaeologists that both the temperature control and the casting methods used were highly advanced. The charioteer sitting in front of the carriage is 51 centimeters tall clothed in a garment. His expression shows both the pride and nervousness due to the presence of the emperor. The interior ceiling was decorated with stylized clouds and from silk fragments discovered inside, it is assumed that cushions or quilts had once made the royal passenger comfortable.
Investigations indicate that in total the emperor's chariot has 3,642 separate components of gold, silver or bronze. For making the components are used such technologies as casting welding, welding, hot muff coupling, buckle joining, inlaying, etc., thus providing the most precious information of the ancient chariot making. The assembly of the chariots required exquisite skill to apply various components properly to the principal part. It is considered to be a demanding job even today.
|
|
|
|
|
China Travel China Tour Provider website by Chinatown. All rights reserved |
No.
1 Chariot 
Both
the chariots were the limousines of that period and this oppugns the theory
that bronze culture declined after the Shang dynasty - the golden age
of bronze in China. The superb metallurgical and shaping technology of
the Qin was discernible. The chariots were mostly bronze decorated with
gold and silver mounts.