The terracotta warriors, chariots and horses at Xi’an in China were made on a ‘production line’, mass-producing thousands of clay figures that were then finished by hand.

The life-size figures were made from a small range of hollow clay moulds. By varying the angles at which the head and limbs were attached to the trunk it was possible to produce a wide variety of figures.

Once assembled and dry, each figure was covered with several layers of fine clay into which the features—such as mouth and eyes—were individually carved. Moulded noses, ears and uniform details were added before firing. The figures were then painted in bright colours, although the paint faded or wore off long ago.