the other disconcerting thought is that the terracotta warriors used to be painted, just like the Greek and Roman statues, but the paint is long gone giving them this classic earthenware look and sparing us from the horror of exactly how tasteless the originals might have been.
this is the absolute worst.
looking at unpainted terracotta warriors: Awe inspiring. A wonder of the world. Gazing upon row after row of loyal automatons, one might know what it feels like to be a god.
looking at painted terracotta warriors: Qin Shi Huang’s wild’n’wacky theme park