The Blue Empire. From the Terracotta Army to the Silk Road

Curated by Sabrina Rastelli and Maurizio Scarpari, the exhibition presents the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, and illustrates the Silk Road from the Han dynasty to the Tang era. This view from Qin to Tang allows visitors to understand the unification of China under the First Emperor as well as the flourishing Han and Tang civilizations. The works on display are on loan from 36 museums and institutions from six provinces in China: Shaanxi, Henan, Gansu, Jiangsu, Hunan and Hebei. These include the imposing Terracotta Warriors, bronze sculpture from the Han tombs in Manchgeng, Hebei, and the honor guard discovered in Leitai, Gansu, composed of horses, armed guards and wagons.