Li Qingfa (Chinese, B. 1954) and Jiang Weijie (Chinese, 20th C.) "Terra Cotta Warriors - Heavy Armor" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media on Silk. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.N. S3 The Terracotta Warriors stamp issued November 19, 1997. In 1974, at the foot of China's Mount Lishan near Xian, a peasant farmer unearthed a few ancient artifacts while digging a well. At the time, no one suspected that this seemingly insignificant discovery would lead to one of the most incredible archeological finds in history -- the 2,200-year-old mausoleum of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Twenty-three years later, this remarkable story is still unfolding, as each day archeologists carefully uncover more of this astonishing underground empire. To date, more than 8,000 extraordinary clay statues have been unearthed -- an army of Qin Shi Huang's terra-cotta warriors. Life-size horses, infantrymen, charioteers and archers -- armed with real bronze swords, spears and crossbows -- have been discovered in three pits covering some five acres. Excavation is proceeding in carefully planned phases. It is a painstakingly slow process, with completion of just pit 2 expected to take another seven or eight years. To protect this precious site from the elements and air pollution, and to allow visitors to observe an immense excavation in progress, China built the Xi-An Terra-Cotta Museum. Since its opening in October 1994, the museum has attracted two million people a year from around the world. In recognition of its importance to the cultural legacy of the world, Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum was named a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1987. Image Size: 12 x 9.25 in. Overall Size: 14 x 12 in. Unframed. (B15788)