The First Emperor Exhibition

What a terrific exhibition - no wonder people are queuing in the early hours for 'on the day' entries. I was fortunate to go with a life friend of the British Museum, so tickets were well timed. This exhibition is always packed out with people - and I'd been warned about overcrowding. We were so lucky to be there at a 'quieter' time and were able to drift though and linger, and read the information fairly well. Of course the warriors are the stars, so delicate and yet sturdy, each individually crafted, but still uniform. However, it is the tiny details that are more fascinating - the arrowheads, the spears, the tiny indentations on the bottom of the boots worn by the archers - and the expressions on the horses faces. Lovely. The chariot pictured above is just beautiful. There are some beautifully sculptured metal birds and animals to be admired. This emperor ruled and unified China at a time when Britain was certainly fairly uncivilised in comparison - well before the arrival of the Romans. Something to think about - this Emperor introduced bureaucracy and legalism in opposition to the ideas of Confucius. Under the First Emperor the law was supreme, and there were punishments for infringement - no one was exempt or above the law. The alternative was, Confucius believed, good example imposing conformity. A good ruler would produce good subjects. Mmmmm