After three years of meticulous maintenance work, recently, the Mausoleum Museum of the First Emperor of Qin Tomb relocated the Qinling No. 1 Bronze Chariot and Horse to the Qinling Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum.
The two-seater Qinling bronze chariot and horse on display at the Qinling Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum
In 1978, a two-passenger bronze carriage was unearthed on the west side of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huangdi, which has a complete structure, gorgeous decoration, exquisite sculpture and exquisite craftsmanship. The craftsmen of the Qin Dynasty used superb production skills to realistically reproduce the original appearance of the imperial carriage of the First Emperor of Qin. The information and physical evidence contained in the bronze carriage are of epoch-making significance for the study of ancient Chinese carriages and horses and related material culture, and are known as the "Bronze Crown" and "a milestone in the history of the world's carriages". The two-seater bronze chariot and horse were officially displayed to the public after the restoration was completed in the 80s of the last century.
No. 1 copper chariot horse
On May 18, 2021, the No. 2 copper chariot and horse unearthed from the Qinling Tomb moved into a "new home" and was opened to the audience at the newly completed Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin. At the same time, the Mausoleum Museum of the First Emperor of Qin began to carry out maintenance work on the No. 1 copper chariot and horse for three years.
The staff is maintaining the No. 1 copper chariot and horse
In terms of scientific analysis, the staff used X-ray flaw detection technology to accurately reveal the structure, welding, repair traces and details that could not be reflected or described in the early repair report; used ultra-depth depth of field microphotography technology to observe and record characteristic diseases and painted ornaments to reveal the details of diseases; used X-ray fluorescence surface scan to analyze the distribution of surface paintings; and used the observation of early repair traces to judge their stability. At the same time, the non-destructive analysis and processing technology observation of the gold, silver, and bronze artifacts in the painted wooden chariots and horses unearthed from the 78LYL.3 burial pit of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang showed the characteristics of casting process, and after filing, grinding, polishing, welding, drilling, punching, engraving and other trimming processing, the surface casting defects of the silver artifacts had traces of patching, and the surface of the gold and silver artifacts had carved symbols with unclear meanings.
The staff is maintaining the No. 1 copper chariot and horse
In terms of maintenance and restoration, combined with the results of scientific analysis, the cultural relics restoration experts bonded the structural risks such as the broken bridle rope faced by the Qinling No. 1 copper chariot and horse to ensure its stability; timely repasted the painted warped parts to prevent them from falling off in a large area; and completely removed the rusted parts of the crisp powder to curb the development of diseases and improve the stability of cultural relics.
No. 1 copper chariot horse
In terms of preventive protection, the staff continuously monitored and evaluated the environment of the copper carriage and horse exhibition hall, and the results showed that the relative humidity of the display cabinet could be effectively controlled under the control of intelligent environmental control equipment, which was in line with the environmental conditions for the preservation of copper carriages and horses.
No. 2 bronze chariot horse
The Qinling Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum currently includes a preface hall, three exhibition halls and an audience interaction area. It shows the audience the excavation of the bronze chariot and horse, the style of the copper chariot and horse, the weapons and chariot and horse equipment on the copper chariot and horse, and interprets the nature and use, shape and structure, sculpture art, painted ornamentation, casting technology, etc., and presents the history, culture, art, and technology of the copper chariot and horse in an all-round way. Through historical images and archaeological research results, as well as interviews with Mr. Yuan Zhongyi, the excavator of the copper chariot and horse, and Mr. Wu Yongqi, the restorer of the copper chariot and horse, the wonderful story of the discovery, excavation and restoration of the copper chariot and horse is presented to the audience.
Copper chariot and horse partial
The Qinling bronze carriage is not only a high degree of combination of ancient art and technology, but also a representative work in the history of bronze casting, and its driving structure, casting technology and painting art have reached the peak of bronze culture. In the future, the Mausoleum Museum of Qin Shi Huang Huang will continue to carry out the research and protection of copper carriages, so that the research level of copper carriages will continue to deepen, and at the same time increase the use of digital technology to display and interpret the connotation value of copper carriages and horses, broaden the communication channels of cultural relics, and polish the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Warriors, the "golden business card" of ancient China's glorious civilization.
Source | People's Daily Online
Editor: Zheng Jianlong
Source: Yangcheng Evening News WeChat public account