The president of the Provincial Assembly, Tony Perez, visited the museum this morning to inspect the exhibition. A coordinated effort is underway by MARQ Foundation archaeologists and other specialists, including a delegation of four Chinese experts who supervise, review, and catalog parts loaned from various Chinese museums and departments for the Alicante display.
The pieces arrived as the museum opened the exhibition on March 28, and security measures were maintained from mid-March 2023. The show has been extended and is now scheduled to remain on display until February 8 of the following year.
Today, there is a mixture of pride and nostalgia as the Xi’an Warriors exhibition winds down. It has drawn thousands of Alicante residents and visitors, marking a milestone for the museum. The event set a historical record with more than 280,000 attendees, Perez noted, highlighting the show as a remarkable moment in the institution’s history. The decision to host the exhibit in Alicante emphasized that the terracotta army was created as a standing force with life beyond the tomb.
Alicante bids farewell to Xi’an warriors with quiet grandeur
Disassembly
Disassembly of the sample began with a project by a specialist transportation company for artworks. The process involved one of the nine terracotta warriors, along with the accompanying samples, and took place over the past ten months. MARQ’s main objective, as reported by the Alicante Provincial Council, was to carefully detach the head first, after which workers, under the strict supervision of Chinese and Alicante archaeologists, proceeded to separate the remainder of the figure from its display case.
Each piece is covered with a protective sheet and documented in a Status Report that details its features. After verifying that the condition matches when it arrived, the parts are re-packaged under the watch of Chinese technicians and placed securely in specialized transport boxes for shipment back to China. Experts from Hanyangling Museum, the Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum team, and the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology contributed local supervision and guidance.
Surgical mission
A precise, delicate operation defines this work. The team describes it as a surgical mission because of the high value and fragile nature of these pieces. The Provincial Assembly chair emphasized the skill and professionalism of the MARQ staff and the delegation of Chinese experts responsible for these artifacts. It was announced that a delegation from Alicante, consisting of two MARQ restorers, will travel to China on February 24 to verify parts already destined for return.
MARQ opens an exhibition on the origins of Europe in March
Next exhibition
Perez expressed happiness and pride in the work accomplished. He thanked everyone whose efforts made the major exhibition possible and confirmed that planning is already underway for the next projects. The Xi’an Warriors show is framed as a turning point for the Archaeological Museum of Alicante.
MARQ has announced a forthcoming international exhibition titled Origins of Europe within Dynasties. The First Kingdoms of Prehistoric Europe. This project will bring together pieces from 18 museums across eight countries, with 482 items set to travel to Alicante. It is scheduled to open in March and remain on display until October. Among the exhibits are some objects never seen in Spain before, including the oldest astronomical map of Europe and a Bronze Age dowry recovered in Almería after a 120-year absence.
Source attribution: MARQ Foundation and the Provincial Council of Alicante confirm ongoing collaboration and curation efforts surrounding the Xi’an Warriors collection and related exhibitions.