terracotta

Woman selling terracotta clay pots in the market at Oaxaca, Mexico. Oaxaca has a high population of Zapotec and Mixtec Indians. The market sells pottery, tooled leather, blankets, weaving, and other traditional handicrafts.

Life-sized terracotta soldiers form an army of figures in the 3rd-century BC tomb of the emperor Shi Huangdi. As the first ruler of China to call himself emperor, Shi Huangdi was buried surrounded by signs of his wealth and power. Excavations at Xi'an, China, in the 1980s revealed the huge tomb.

A terracotta vase made by the Maya people during what is now known as their late classical period, AD 600-900. The design and decoration are traditional. Maya pottery was the wonder of contemporary neighbouring peoples in Central America: one example of it was found 1,600 km/1,000 miles south of the site of manufacture.

The Terracotta Army at Xi'an, China. These are full-scale pottery models of some seven thousand warriors, the army of emperor Shi Huangdi who ruled in the 3rd century BC. The collection is considered by many to be the eighth wonder of the world.

Brownish-red baked clay, usually unglazed, used in building, sculpture, and pottery. The term is specifically applied to small figures or figurines, such as those found at Tanagra in central Greece. Excavations at Xi'an, China, have revealed life-size terracotta figures of the army of the Emperor Shi Huangdi dating from the 3rd century BC.