Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor
Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip
Friday, July 25 2025
One of the biggest productions WA Museum had ever brought to the state, Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor was an exhibition absolutely worthy of the word blockbuster. The pieces on display were drawn from between the Warring States Period and the Western Han Dynasty, with the short-lived Qin Dynasty as the primary focus, which culminated with the stunning treasures of the mausoleum of Qin Shihuang himself.
Lost for over two thousand years, only rediscovered in 1974 a short distance outside the city of Xi’an, the Terracotta Army contains approximately eight thousand warriors, over one hundred chariots, and six hundred horses. Not all have made the journey to Perth, as most remain in situ in Shaanxi itself, but those that have arrived in Australia impose an inscrutable, brooding presence.
Averaging 190cm, and further placed on pedestals within their displays, the warriors loomed over most museum visitors tonight, with fine, individual details on each statue. On parade were infantry, archers, cavalry, and charioteers, as well as a general who watched over his men from a corner. When entombed in 210 BCE, these troops had been fully armed with real weapons, as well as provided with ceremonial armour made beautifully, if far less practically, of stone.
A life-size terracotta horse drew all eyes within the room. Earlier in the piece it had been relayed that the Western Han Dynasty, which came immediately after the Qin, also placed statues within their tombs, but at only a third of life size. As beautiful as Qin Shihuang’s warriors were, the effort, cost, and labour involved to construct them was mind-boggling in its extravagance.
Elsewhere across the exhibition, the story of the unification of China was to the fore, with the Qin armies especially strong in cavalry and bronze and iron weaponry. Once Qin Shihuang and his court conquered the warring states, they standardised currency, measurements, and writing across the vast territories they now controlled.
This stark pivot between war and peace recalled the age-old question of whether swords or butter work best to build and define civilisations. Perhaps a mixture of both, as gorgeous examples of both martial and domestic life from across five hundred years filled out the display cabinets.
Jade Nights, the Friday night program by WA Museum, included additional talks and presentations atop the exhibition itself. Tonight the local Chung Wah Association provided a traditional tea ceremony, and another speaker demonstrated the ease of understanding Chinese script versus the complexity of English.
There was further discussion on the reconstruction of two stunning bronze chariots from Qin Shihuang’s tomb, broken into three thousand pieces on rediscovery and painstakingly put back together over the course of eight years. Replicas of these chariots had been brought to Perth, and these were a spectacular highlight of the overall exhibition. Despite being replicas, the craftsmanship in creating them anew was an obvious art all in itself.
Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor is a fantastic exhibition both of history and of art, which should be considered an absolute must-see. Another top-tier premier collaboration with international institutions brought to our city—we cannot wait to see what else WA Museum has lined up for the near term.