Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Standing Archer

China

Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE)

Not on view

Gazing straight ahead, the archer positions his hands as though holding a loaded crossbow, ready to shoot. In the burial pit, standing archers were often placed around their kneeling counterparts, suggesting that they would shoot in turn. All the terracotta warriors were once equipped with real bronze weapons, some of which may have been used in battle by living soldiers. About 40,000 bronze weapons and arrowheads were unearthed from the pit where this soldier was found.

Standing Archer, Earthenware, China

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.