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That sequence matters because the figures’ colors sit on a lacquer ground that can shrink, curl and pull paint away when it dries too quickly. A successful treatment preserves original evidence wherever possible; it does not promise that every missing color can be recreated.
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What conservation of a Terracotta Army figure involves
The Terracotta Army comprises approximately 7,000 life-size terracotta warriors and horses, according to the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Terracotta Army Museum in 2020. Each figure is an archaeological object with its own fractures, soil deposits, paint remnants and excavation history. Conservators therefore treat restoration as a chain of decisions rather than a single recipe.
The work starts in or beside the excavation pit. Staff stabilize newly exposed material, record it before moving it, and transfer it through controlled conditions to laboratories and storage. Only after the fragment’s condition and geometry are understood do specialists choose cleaning agents, consolidants, adhesives or reconstruction methods.
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| Stage | Main objective | Principal risk being managed |
|---|---|---|
| In-situ first aid | Keep newly exposed lacquer and paint from drying abruptly | Lacquer shrinkage, curling and pigment loss |
| Documentation | Preserve information about location, condition and decoration | Misidentifying fragments or losing archaeological context |
| Testing and imaging | Reveal hidden cracks and record three-dimensional geometry | Assembling parts that cannot safely bear stress |
| Cleaning and consolidation | Remove harmful dirt and secure fragile layers | Taking away evidence or forcing unstable materials to crack |
| Reassembly | Return matching clay parts to their original positions | Misalignment, excess adhesive and mechanical strain |
| Storage and display | Keep the treated object in a stable environment | Transport damage and seasonal climate swings |
Why excavation can make the colors disappear
The painted decoration was applied over a lacquer ground. While buried, that lacquer retains moisture. Once exposed to much drier air, it can lose water, shrink and deform. The overlying pigment layer may then curl, flake or detach, sometimes taking tiny pieces of lacquer with it.
Wang Chunyan of the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum described protecting the varnish and colorful painting as the institution’s greatest conservation effort. The problem is not simply that ancient pigments have “faded.” Some color survives where the lacquer remained protected, while other areas were lost during burial, excavation or earlier drying. Conservators must distinguish surviving original material from later deposits and from places where no paint remains.
The Getty Conservation Institute’s treatment studies specify that consolidants and adhesives need good long-term stability, at least partial reversibility and tolerance for wide seasonal conditions. The cited design range is about 2°C and 20% relative humidity in winter to 37°C and 85% relative humidity in summer. These figures define the stress a treatment may encounter; they are not a promise that every figure experiences those exact conditions or that all original colors can be recovered.
Step 1: Give the fragment first aid in the excavation pit
Conservation begins before a fragment leaves the ground. Work tables and conservation staff operate inside or alongside the pits so that exposed painted surfaces can receive immediate attention. The aim is to slow moisture loss and avoid the sudden environmental change that damages lacquer.
Controlled moisture and nitrogen preservation
Newly excavated painted fragments are placed in nitrogen-filled moisture-preservation systems. The nitrogen atmosphere and managed moisture reduce contact with ordinary dry air while the fragment is assessed. This is emergency stabilization, not a permanent restoration; the object still needs examination, treatment and gradual transition to its long-term environment.
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Why speed must be controlled
Moving a fragment quickly is not always safer. A rapid change from damp burial conditions to a dry laboratory can produce the very shrinkage conservators are trying to prevent. Staff therefore coordinate excavation, packing, transfer and laboratory intake so that moisture and humidity change in a controlled way.
Step 2: Record every fragment before treating it
Before cleaning or joining, conservators document the fragment’s size, weight, condition, painted surface, decorative patterns and precise excavation location. Photographs, written records and three-dimensional data create a reference for treatment and later interpretation.
Location is especially important. A small sleeve, armor plate or facial fragment may match several visually similar pieces, but its archaeological position can identify the correct figure or body section. Records also preserve evidence that might be obscured once dirt is removed or joins are made.
Step 3: Test hidden damage and capture the geometry
Ultrasonic testing helps detect internal fractures or weak zones that are not obvious on the surface. Conservators can use that information to decide whether a fragment can support a join, needs reinforcement first or should remain separate.
Three-dimensional imaging records shape, curvature and break edges without requiring repeated physical handling. Scans can be compared while specialists search for matching fragments and can support virtual reconstruction when pieces are missing or too fragile to assemble immediately. The 2024 facilities at the site integrate this imaging with excavation records rather than treating scanning as a separate display technology.
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Step 4: Clean selectively, not automatically
Soil and deposits are removed in stages. Conservators distinguish loose dirt that obscures the surface from residues that may preserve information about pigments, manufacturing or burial conditions. A residue is not discarded merely because it looks dirty; it may be sampled, recorded or retained for study.
Staged cleaning decisions
- Identify the deposit and its relationship to paint or lacquer before touching it.
- Remove only material that can be taken away without lifting fragile layers.
- Pause when a residue may contain archaeological evidence.
- Record the surface before and after each treatment stage.
This approach explains why a restored figure may retain small areas of soil or discoloration. Leaving a stable, informative residue can be safer and more truthful than making the surface look uniformly new.
Step 5: Strengthen lacquer and pigment gradually
Fragile lacquer and pigment need a consolidant that penetrates and supports the layers without creating a hard, incompatible film. The Getty study describes gradual consolidant substitution: treatment proceeds through increasing concentrations rather than one abrupt application.
Why concentration changes matter
If the consolidant is introduced too quickly or at too high a concentration, the lacquer can crack. Gradual substitution allows the treatment material to replace moisture in controlled steps and reduces mechanical shock to the shrinking layer. Conservators adjust the sequence to the fragment’s condition; there is no universal number of applications or waiting time.
Material requirements
- Long-term stability: the consolidant and adhesive should not rapidly break down or discolor.
- Partial reversibility: future conservators should have a realistic way to retreat or remove the material.
- Climate tolerance: the treatment must accommodate substantial seasonal changes in temperature and relative humidity.
- Compatibility: the material must support lacquer, pigment and earthen clay without creating damaging stress at their interfaces.
Consolidation secures surviving original material; it does not recreate paint that has already vanished. Any visual infill or reconstruction must remain distinguishable from ancient pigment and be documented as intervention.
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Step 6: Reassemble broken warriors by combining evidence and hand fitting
Specialists fit heads, torsos, arms, legs and armor elements by hand. Break edges, dimensions, surface decoration, excavation location and three-dimensional scans all contribute to the match. A visually plausible join is not enough if it conflicts with the archaeological record or places stress on the clay.
Physical and virtual reconstruction
Three-dimensional models let teams test possible assemblies before repeatedly handling the originals. Virtual joins are useful when a fragment is unstable, when several candidates appear similar or when a missing section must be represented without fabricating ancient material. The final physical assembly still requires conservators to check contact surfaces, weight distribution and the reversibility of the adhesive.
Adhesive and joining choices
German-Chinese conservation programs have examined adhesives, joining methods, 3D reconstruction and consolidation of earthen structures. The objective is a secure join that can tolerate environmental movement and, where necessary, be undone by a future team. Excess adhesive can obscure break evidence, stain the clay or make later treatment harder, so application is deliberately limited and recorded.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Step 7: Store, monitor and transfer the treated object safely
The conservation facilities opened as part of the site’s expanding program connect excavation, transfer, restoration and storage. The on-site Pit 1 conservation laboratory and the Pit 2 excavation-and-conservation platform began operating in 2024, according to a 2026 report from the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum.
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How the main technologies complement one another
| Technology or method | What it reveals or controls | What it cannot replace |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled humidity and nitrogen-filled moisture preservation | Slows drying while newly excavated lacquer and paint are stabilized | Condition assessment and a tailored treatment plan |
| Ultrasonic testing | Indicates hidden cracks and weak internal areas | Visual examination of paint and break edges |
| 3D imaging | Captures geometry, supports matching and permits virtual assembly | Final hand fitting and judgment about safe joins |
| Systematic recording | Links condition, decoration and excavation location to each fragment | Physical stabilization of a flaking surface |
| Material analysis and simulated-layer studies | Tests how lacquer, pigment and consolidants behave | Proof that one treatment suits every figure |
Smithsonian conservation records describe laboratory studies using simulated lacquer and pigment layers to investigate flaking mechanisms. The Technical University of Munich has documented joint work on polychromy, original appearance, 3D reconstruction, reassembly, gluing and consolidation. Together, these projects help explain failure modes and evaluate materials before they are used on irreplaceable archaeological surfaces.
Can the original paint be saved?
Often, some original paint can be stabilized when it remains attached to lacquer or survives in protected areas. The best outcome is preservation of that authentic surface, not a visually complete repaint. Where pigment has detached or disappeared, conservators may document the loss and use a clearly identified reconstruction for interpretation, but that addition is not original color.
The drying mechanism also means that “restoring the colors” is an oversimplification. Treatment can slow further loss and secure surviving flakes; it cannot reverse every chemical or mechanical change that occurred after burial. Conservators therefore prioritize evidence, stability and future access over making every figure appear uniformly colorful.
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Excavation and conservation are continuing. The new laboratories and platforms represent an expanding workflow rather than a completed campaign, and no published source establishes a date by which every figure will be fully restored. Different fragments will require different levels of cleaning, consolidation and reconstruction, so progress cannot be measured simply by counting complete-looking statues.
The practical verdict is straightforward: Terracotta Army conservation succeeds by controlling change. Moisture is managed before lacquer dries, evidence is recorded before surfaces are altered, technology guides but does not replace expert judgment, and every adhesive or consolidant is chosen for stability, compatibility and the possibility of future retreatment.
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