The Terracotta Army resides in Xi’an in the Shaanxi province of China. The sculpture army is comprised of thousands of warriors, and it was discovered in the 1970s. The imposing figures are instantly recognizable whether you know much about their purpose and history or not. Artist Lizabeth Eva Rossof was inspired by the army and created a statement with sculptures that will delight fans of Batman, Mickey Mouse, Spider-Man, Shrek, and Bart Simpson. Behold the Xi’an-American Warriors:
Rossof debuted the concept back in 2010 at a gallery in Los Angeles. The thought behind the pop culture versions of the Terracotta Warriors is to explore “the dominance of globalized American media at the intersection of China’s robust industries that replicate copyrighted properties.” It definitely works.
Besides the amusing juxtaposition, the statues were carefully made. Rossof wanted to make the warriors from the same earth as the original army and to that end, she worked with a Terracotta Warrior replica studio in Xi’an. That’s commitment. The figures are about 18 inches tall, and they’re available in different poses and in various armor styles and ranks – there are generals, emperors, armored warriors, and kneeling archers.
If I’m headed into battle, I’m leaving Bart Simpson behind and taking Batman. That’s a no brainer.
A select number of Xi’an-American Warriors are available to purchase through Rossof’s website. The limited edition figures start at $1,600 each. But come on, how awesome would they look in your living room? If they were available in smaller action figure sizes, I’d definitely consider scooping up a set.
