The First Emperor: Initial Thoughts
So, yesterday, I finally made it to the First Emperor exhibition at the British Museum. Here are my initial thoughts (I will probably write a more complete review in a few days when I've had a chance to 'digest' my visit):
* Many people are woefully ignorant of exhibition-visiting etiquette - I'm all for subverting the built-in directional 'flow' in larger, or less crowded, exhibition spaces, but where people have paid a great deal of money to see something really special in a limited time frame, pushing-in and hogging cases while having inane conversations about totally unrelated business, or trying to impress one's friends with pseudo-intellectual musings on the subject is a great annoyance.
* Audio-guides are the Devil's work. People wearing them go into a kind of trance state wherein they pick their noses, stand on other's feet and barge past without apologising (or even being aware that they've just knocked you flying) and other such anti-social, aimless behaviour.
* Why do certain types of men, of a certain age, have to belittle the experience? 'Well', they say, when stood in front of a 2,500 year old finely modeled terracotta warrior, 'I'm quite disappointed'. What exactly did you expect? The massed ranks of the terracotta army, rivers of mercury and Qin Shi Huangdi himself as your personal exhibition guide?! *she fumes*
Having said all that...
* The standing 'warriors' are brilliantly displayed in the round, and despite the crush of bodies it really is possible to get a really good 360 degree look at them all.
* And, it's well worth a visit - just to stand at the top of the central exhibition area and look across at generals, infantry, charioteers, archers and their horses face-to-face, something only dignitaries get to do at the archaeological site in Xi'an.
* It's a totally cynically commercial addition to the menu, but the Chinese Afternoon Tea (exorbitantly priced at £14 per person) served in the Great Court restaurant, is FAB!
More thoughts to follow...
* Many people are woefully ignorant of exhibition-visiting etiquette - I'm all for subverting the built-in directional 'flow' in larger, or less crowded, exhibition spaces, but where people have paid a great deal of money to see something really special in a limited time frame, pushing-in and hogging cases while having inane conversations about totally unrelated business, or trying to impress one's friends with pseudo-intellectual musings on the subject is a great annoyance.
* Audio-guides are the Devil's work. People wearing them go into a kind of trance state wherein they pick their noses, stand on other's feet and barge past without apologising (or even being aware that they've just knocked you flying) and other such anti-social, aimless behaviour.
* Why do certain types of men, of a certain age, have to belittle the experience? 'Well', they say, when stood in front of a 2,500 year old finely modeled terracotta warrior, 'I'm quite disappointed'. What exactly did you expect? The massed ranks of the terracotta army, rivers of mercury and Qin Shi Huangdi himself as your personal exhibition guide?! *she fumes*
Having said all that...
* The standing 'warriors' are brilliantly displayed in the round, and despite the crush of bodies it really is possible to get a really good 360 degree look at them all.
* And, it's well worth a visit - just to stand at the top of the central exhibition area and look across at generals, infantry, charioteers, archers and their horses face-to-face, something only dignitaries get to do at the archaeological site in Xi'an.
* It's a totally cynically commercial addition to the menu, but the Chinese Afternoon Tea (exorbitantly priced at £14 per person) served in the Great Court restaurant, is FAB!
More thoughts to follow...
Comments
Which reminds me...I'm supposed to be writing a proper review of the exhibition. Hmmm...