Introductory Paragraph- Chinese Tomb Art

There has been a change in my thesis statement but I think I’ll put down the paragraph first and see if it’s easy to pick out.

 

Introduction:

The Ancient China concept of death indicated that the body had two spiritual elements, the hun spirit representing the expressive soul headed for paradise and the po spirit that remained after death[1]. To appease the po spirit, the dead were buried with art such as sculptures or bronzes and everyday objects, essentially “recreating life in all its essentials.“[2] The higher rank the deceased had, the more goods were placed in their tombs, one of the most famous being China’s First Emperor Qin Shihuang tomb and his terracotta warriors. Founded in 1974 by farmers , the terracotta army remained one of China’s links to its extensive history, one being the study of military hierarchy in the ranks; Despite the facial individualities of the soldiers[3] the overarching shape of the terracotta figures, as shown by its posture, weapons, and dressing, encapsulates the rank of the figure.

[1] Wood, China’s First Emperor and His Terra Cotta Warriors, 127.

[2] Man, The Terracotta Army: China’s First Emperor and The Birth of a Nation, 100.

[3] Fu, The Underground Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, 12.

 

Bibliography:

Wood, Frances. China’s First Emperor and His Terra Cotta Warriors. New York: St.Martin’s Press, 2008.

Man, John. The Terracotta Army: China’s First Emperor and The Birth of a Nation. Great Britain: Bantam Press, 2007.

Fu, Tianchou. The Underground Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. China: New World Press, 1996

Author: Fernandez Leong

So done with Life sometimes but it's going to be okay~

3 thoughts on “Introductory Paragraph- Chinese Tomb Art”

  1. Very nice introduction!
    Break up sentence 3. It is a run on sentence. Full stop needed after “tombs.”
    Your thesis sounds fascinating. But, you need to introduce your two objects first before the thesis. Why not describe the various ranks first and then zero in on your two objects? But, I am struggling to understand what exactly you mean. So, you are saying that although they are different (due to facial characteristics), they are the same? In other words, they aren’t different because they are different individuals but the are differentiated because of their ranks needed to be shown?
    What is the plan for the paper?
    Also, it would be good to include the chapter by Lothar Ledderose on the tomb warriors.

    1. Hi Sujatha,

      Thank you for the comment!

      Noted on the third sentence and phrasing of thesis. I will have to work on it again.
      About the plan, I would find it more comfortable emailing you about it…so the rephrased thesis should be together in the email.

      Regarding the chapter by Lothar Ledderose, would you happen to be referring to the piece “A Magic Army for the Emperor”?

      Thank you again for the feedback.

      1. Dear Fern,

        Have you emailed me your new thesis and plan?

        Yes, I am referring to the Magical Army chapter in Ten Thousand Things.

        Looking forward to reading your work,
        Sujatha

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