Terracotta Soldiers

General, Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). Terracotta, H 195 cm. On loan from the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qin Shihuang, Shaanxi Province, China. Photography © The Trustees of The British Museum with the kind permission of the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center. Photo: John Williams and Saul Peckham.

This November, pieces of China’s most important archaeological discovery, the First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi’s Terracotta Soldiers, will arrive at the High Museum of Art. The figures, which date back to 200 B.C., once stood guard among thousands of others in the emperor’s memorial tomb, and offer Museum-goers an intimate look inside the world of ancient China.

In addition to the nine Terracotta warriors on view at the High, the museum has also secured several other figures found in the 1974 excavation, including a bare-chested strongman and a Terracotta chariot horse. Each illuminates the delicate aspects of imperial China, and promotes a deeper understanding of this ancient culture. “The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army,” is one of the largest installations of Terracotta figures ever to come to the United States. It will be at the High from November 2008 through April 2009.

Categories: Culture, Date, Events & Activities

Innovative Wine Bar

(Photo courtesy of Tastings)

Tastings, a wine bar in Decatur, offers patrons a wine experience memorable not just for the many distinctive varieties it offers, but also for its innovative “Enomatic” tasting technology. The Enomatic, a mechanized tasting station, ensures that each sip of wine is distributed to patrons at its peak flavor, preserving the wine for an extended period of time.

To begin, guests receive a charged Tasting’s Card which can be inserted into the store’s Enomatic wine stations for sampling. Once patrons identify their favorite choices, they can learn about the corresponding food pairings and wineries through in-house wine books, or walk directly to Tastings’ retail section to purchase a bottle.

Tastings-Decatur also offers several themed tasting opportunities this month, including “Warm Wines for Cool Nights,” a Thanksgiving feature, and a wine and cheese special.

Categories: Date, Drink