Supine 'acrobat' debuts in museum housing Terracotta Warriors

XI'AN - In contrast to the previously unearthed Terracotta Warriors that are either sitting or standing, a figure in a lying position made its public debut on June 11 after being restored in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

The relic was given the temporary name "supine figure", and was unveiled at a ceremony coinciding with China's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day 2022 on June 1, at Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum.

Archaeologists discovered the figure at the Acrobats Pit, or Pit 9901 of the museum. Different from terracotta soldiers and civil officials in other burial pits, figures in Pit 9901 might portray the acrobats who performed in the imperial palace, according to the museum.

Discovered in 1974, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), who unified China for the first time.

The figure took nine months to restore. It measures 154 centimeters in length and weighs 101 kilograms.

There are fingerprints on the belly and lacquer stains on the arms that can be studied further, providing clues into the handicrafts used to create the figure, according to the restoration team.