After laying in a tomb for some two thousand years, these artifacts from the Chinese Qin and Han dynasties, circa 221 BC, are ready for their close-up.
New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple can now see the collection on loan from China during a show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The exhibition, entitled “Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.-A.D. 220),” includes more than 160 pieces of ancient Chinese art.
Among the highlights: The body of Dou Wan, the wife of Prince Jing, laid to rest and perfectly preserved in a jade and gold encasement, terracotta army warriors, ornate dishware, metalwork, paintings and brightly-color textiles. The items on exhibit are pulled from 32 different museums and research centers throughout China. Many of these works have never before been on display in the West.
The exhibit ends July 16.
Qin dynasty (221–206 B.C.) (Courtesy Qin Shihuangdi Mausoleum Site Museum)
Qin dynasty (221–206 B.C.) (Courtesy Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology)
Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 9) (Courtesy Hebei Provincial Museum)
Eastern Han dynasty (A.D. 25–220) (Courtesy Henan Museum)
Eastern Han dynasty (A.D. 25–220) (Courtesy Henan Museum)
Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 9), 2nd century B.C. (Courtesy Hebei Provincial Museum)
Qin dynasty (221–206 B.C.)(Courtesy Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology)
Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 9), 1st century B.C. (Courtesy Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)
Qin dynasty (221–206 B.C.) (Courtesy Xi’an Museum)
Eastern Han dynasty (A.D. 25–220) (Courtesy Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum)
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