IN contrast to the previously unearthed terracotta warriors that are either sitting or standing, a figure in a rarely seen position made its public debut last weekend after being restored in Xi’an, Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. The No. 28 figure was given the temporary name “supine figure” and was unveiled at a ceremony coinciding with China’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day on June 11 at Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum. The figure is kneeling on the ground and leaning backwards to its back that touches the ground. It was discovered in a severely damaged state. It took nine months to restore the figure which measures 1.54 meters in length and weighs 101 kilograms although the statue is still missing parts of its hands and head. There are fingerprints on the belly and lacquer stains on the arms that can be studied further, providing clues into the handicrafts used to create the figure, according to the restoration team. Archaeologists discovered the figure at the Acrobats Pit, or Pit 9901, which was first exavated in 1999. Nearly 30 colored figures had been found in the pit from 2011 to 2013. To date, 25 of them have also been restored. Different from terracotta soldiers and civil officials in other burial pits, figures in Pit 9901 might portray the acrobats who performed in the imperial palace in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), according to the museum. Since more than 7,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses were discovered at Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum in 1974, more and more satellite pits began to be known and unearthed. (Xinhua, Global Times) | 