Cover News Reporter Li Yuxin
One day in June 1978, archaeological drilling of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang was transferred to the western area of the cemetery. In the hot summer weather, the two-passenger bronze carriage buried deep in the ground finally revealed to the eyes of the world more than 2,000 years later, unveiling the mystery of the "bronze crown".
The Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin was "reunited" by two bronze chariots and horses
Nowadays, when tourists from all over the world walk into the Mausoleum Museum of the First Emperor of Qin and come to the exhibition hall of the Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum, they can see that the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin has unearthed a two-seated bronze carriage, which has a complete structure, gorgeous decoration, exquisite sculpture and exquisite craftsmanship. Through the cultural relics themselves, we can not only feel the superb production skills of the craftsmen of the Qin Dynasty, but also seem to whisper the history of that ancient era.
On April 18, 2024, the annual International Day of Monuments and Sites, after three years of meticulous maintenance work, the Mausoleum Museum of the First Emperor of the Qin Tombs relocated the Qinling No. 1 Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum to the Qinling Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum and placed them in the display case. So far, the two bronze chariots and horses of Qinling have finally been exhibited to the public at their place of origin.
The staff moved the No. 1 copper carriage and horse into the "new home"
"When the No. 1 copper chariot and horse were safely moved to the 'new home' and the display cabinet was completely sealed, all our staff who participated in the maintenance process of cultural relics really fell in their hearts. At the end of the "reunion" of the two bronze chariots and horses, Liu Jiangwei, deputy research librarian of the Cultural Relics Protection Department of the Mausoleum Museum of the First Emperor of Qin, accepted an exclusive interview with the cover news, and slowly told how the No. 1 bronze chariot and horse went through three years of protection and restoration, and finally met the audience.
01
5 km behind the "move".
It is a conservation restoration of up to three years
Faithfully simulating the real carriage manufacturing of the Qin Dynasty, realistically reproducing the original appearance of the imperial carriage of the First Emperor of Qin, the exquisite painting of the bronze carriage and the exquisite combination of the shape of the carriage and horse, showing the relationship between the ancient chariot and the horse, but also showing the ingenuity of the ancients...... In the crowded exhibition hall, when people walk in front of the display cabinet of two bronze chariots and horses, they can't help but stop and take a closer look at this exquisite cultural relic that is praised by the academic community as "the bronze crown" and "a milestone in the history of the world's horse-drawn carriages".
Cultural relics conservators maintain the No. 1 copper chariot and horse
"After three years, the two Qinling bronze chariots and horses can finally be exhibited in the same place. At the beginning of the interview, Liu Jiangwei expressed such feelings. He introduced that the Qin copper chariot and horse were a group of two cars, among which, the No. 1 copper chariot and horse were "standing chariots", which were used in the emperor's convoy to open roads, guard and conquer, and the No. 2 copper chariots and horses were "safe chariots", that is, the cars that sat and sit.
It is reported that due to the age, the cultural relics were broken into more than 3,000 pieces when they were unearthed, and later restored their original appearance after nearly 8 years of restoration by experts. In 1989, the two-seater bronze chariot and horse were exhibited, reproducing the style of the bronze chariot and horse 2,200 years ago. On May 18, 2021, the No. 2 copper chariot and horse unearthed in the Qinling Tomb moved into a "new home", and the newly completed Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin was officially opened to the audience. At the same time, the Qinling Museum carried out the maintenance of the No. 1 copper chariot and horse.
Cultural relics conservators maintain the No. 1 copper chariot and horse
"The Qin bronze chariot and horse is very special, although the material of its body is bronze, but the surface is painted. The pigments used in the application of color are mineral pigments, which are blended and painted with animal glue," Liu Jiangwei explained, although the early restoration and protection of the painting has been reinforced, but over time, the reinforcing agent will also have some aging phenomena, which will cause the painting to appear crisp powder, warping, hollowing and other phenomena, so it is necessary to strengthen and paste the painting with problems.
So, why does it take three years to maintain the No. 1 copper chariot and horse? Liu Jiangwei said that it is a long and complicated process. In order to ensure the foolproof maintenance, we must first inquire about the records of the restoration and protection of the No. 1 copper chariot and horse of the year. At the same time, Liu Jiangwei and his team also visited experts and scholars who participated in the restoration of copper carriages and horses.
In addition, the No. 1 copper carriage and horse used welding and bonding processes in the restoration, and some necessary technical means are needed to test whether the strength of the joint is still intact and whether it can meet the requirements of relocation and long-term exhibition. In addition, there are the reinforcement materials to be used in the maintenance work, and the materials need to be screened by experiments to ensure that they are not incompatible with the materials used before. And all of this can only be regarded as the preliminary work of formulating a maintenance plan, so it is not difficult to imagine why it took three years for the No. 1 copper chariot and horse to return to the audience's sight.
Liu Jiangwei said that three years ago, the No. 1 copper carriage and horse began to be maintained in situ in the comprehensive exhibition building of the Qinling Museum. Today, the "new home" it has moved to is the Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum, five or six kilometers away. The short five-kilometer journey is the result of three years of hard work by the conservators. "There are so many aspects in the process, and everyone has given a lot. ”
02
Make good use of high technology
Photographed every part of the bronze chariot and horse
More than 30 years ago, after eight years of hard work by cultural relics restoration experts, the two-seater copper chariot and horse were finally restored from thousands of fragments. To this day, several generations of cultural relics workers in the Qinling Museum have never stopped discussing, researching, and preserving it. Nowadays, with the continuous development of scientific and technological means, from archaeological excavation to cultural relics protection, from value interpretation to display and dissemination, the combination of cultural relics and science and technology is getting closer and closer, and the innovation of science and technology has also improved the level of cultural relics protection and restoration.
Microscopic analysis of the polishing marks on the right hind leg of the No. 1 copper chariot horse
X-ray flaw detection, plasma glow finder, ultra-depth micrograph...... When this series of professional terms appears, it must confuse many audiences, but these are a variety of technical means used in the maintenance process of the No. 1 copper chariot horse.
"Previously, we also carried out flaw detection on the No. 1 copper chariot horse, but not as comprehensively as this time, and carried out every part of the copper chariot horse. Liu Jiangwei said that X-ray flaw detection technology was used to accurately reveal structures, welds, repair traces and details that could not be reflected or described in early repair reports. "There are two main purposes, one is to borrow this technology and see some of the casting processes at that time, and the other is that it has been so long since the last repair to see if there are some new cracks or other conditions. ”
The umbrella cover of the No. 1 copper chariot horse under X-ray flaw detection
Furthermore, Liu Jiangwei also mentioned the ultra-depth microscopy technology, which was not available in the past, through which cultural relics conservationists can see the painting of copper cars more clearly and intuitively. At the same time, the ultra-depth-of-field microphotography technology can be used to observe and record the characteristic diseases and painted ornaments, and reveal the details of the diseases. "Using this technology, the shape and details of cultural relics can be clearly displayed from all angles, including the hierarchical relationship and width of the painted paint layer, which provides a good material for the study of the painting process at that time. In addition, the No. 1 copper chariot horse also used a plasma glow discharge instrument in the maintenance process to observe some traces of early repair, and analyze the preservation status through the different optical reactions of different repair materials under the glow.
At present, the No. 1 copper chariot and horse that have been maintained and maintained, together with the No. 2 copper chariot and horse, are quietly placed in the display cabinet of the Qinling Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum, showing the audience the milestones in the history of the world's carriages. Walking through it, the audience can also understand the excavation of the copper chariot and horse, and understand the nature and use of the copper chariot and horse, the shape and structure, sculpture art, painted ornamentation, casting technology and other knowledge in the audience.
"It's been three years, and the Qinling bronze chariots and horses have been displayed together again, and the No. 1 copper chariots and horses on display are no longer replicas. They're back together, and it's sure to make a lot of people want to visit. Liu Jiangwei said. It is worth mentioning that this is also the first time that the two-seated copper chariot and horse have gathered at the original site after they were unearthed.
And at the moment when the No. 1 copper carriage and horse landed in the exhibition hall and the display cabinet was sealed, Liu Jiangwei's heart, which had been hanging from the day the maintenance work began, finally had a moment of stability. But he also understands that there is still a longer way to go in the research and protection of the bronze chariots and horses in Qinling. "Up to now, we have not fully interpreted the manufacturing process of Qinling bronze chariots and horses. In the future, we will continue to carry out the research and protection of copper carriages, so that the research of copper carriages will continue to deepen. ”
According to the Mausoleum Museum of the First Emperor of Qin
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