PFF: The Terracotta Army

I can't read the postmark, but the date is 13 May 2009.
Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang and terra-cotta warriors and horses.

I'd always intended to go to the exhibition of the Terracotta Army when it was in London at the British Museum, but it never happened. It must be a fantastic sight in real life, though probably not quite so much when there are only 20 figures as there were in the exhibition. I don't imagine I'll ever get to see the originals, so if the exhibition comes around again, I will be there. In the meantime I was really delighted to find this card in the post a few days ago. 

I imagine almost everyone has heard of the Terracotta Army by now.  I can even remember when the discovery was first announced.  Local farmers in Xi'an found the figures accidentally when digging for a well in 1974 and now the site is considered by many to be the Eighth Wonder of the World.

The figures are not only life-size and lifelike, but each was individually made by craftsmen in fine detail.  No two figures are the same.  The heads, arms, legs and bodies were crafted separately and then assembled, and once assembled, the individual details were added according to rank. 

The arrival of this card is very timely because archaeologists in China have begun a new dig in the hope of finding a "leader" for the army.  This will be the third excavation on the vast site and is expected to last a year.  They intend to take more note of the painted details because those figures that have been exposed to the air since the first excavation have faded badly.

A post for Postcard Friendship Friday.

Because the craftsmen who created the army are probably the nearest I'm going to get to the theme, I am including this in the Postcard Scavenger Hunt - Handicrafts.