Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts

Monday, August 28, 2017

Qin

Armored Charioteer
Photo © 2017 Jennifer Wagner


Holding the reins
of dynasty,
the red spread,

conquering
until conquered,
in mercurial endings—

buried
and forgotten

with the bones
of their makers, their lips
like tombs.


© 2017 Jennifer Wagner



Notes:

I recently toured the fascinating Terracotta Army of the First Emperor of China display in Seattle.  Thousands of the life-size clay soldiers, each with unique characteristics, were buried with the Emperor.  They were discovered in 1974 and are an epic archaeological find. 

Emperor Qin consumed mercury in hopes of preventing his death which is believed to have hastened it.  He also had rivers of flowing mercury installed in his tomb.  Laborers who helped build Qin’s tomb complex were buried in it for secrecy regarding its location and treasures within.



High-Ranking General
Photo © 2017 Jennifer Wagner

Kneeling and Standing Archers
Photo © 2017 Jennifer Wagner