<p>A face took shape in one of several dozen molds. The sculptor then added details, choosing from an array of basic hairdos, ears, eyebrows, mustaches, and beards. The body was created separately and displayed a similar combination of standard elements. All together, the completed figures gave an impression of infinite variety, as in a real army.</p>

Birth by Mass Production

A face took shape in one of several dozen molds. The sculptor then added details, choosing from an array of basic hairdos, ears, eyebrows, mustaches, and beards. The body was created separately and displayed a similar combination of standard elements. All together, the completed figures gave an impression of infinite variety, as in a real army.

Terra-Cotta Warriors in Color

It was a dazzling spectacle: a life-size army of painted clay soldiers buried to guard an emperor’s tomb. Now archaeologists and artists, armed with the latest tools and techniques, are bringing that ancient vision back to life.

This story appears in the June 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine.
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