Travel can be educational. Visiting another country teaches one about another culture. Often when traveling one wants to bring home a souvenir that reminds one of a cultural experience. On a trip to the South of France, for example, a painting featuring their famed purple irises would serve as a cultural reminder. Bringing back a bottle of cold pressed olive oil from Italy might be appropriate. Or, a Turkish rug is a perfect memento of a trip to that exotic land.

Not every cultural phenomenon can be brought home. A visit to New Zealand reveals to the traveler that there are more sheep then people. Purchasing a woolen garment would be the perfect souvenir. However, an overpopulation of possum has necessitated woolen garments to contain a percentage of possum fibers. Although the documentation assures the purchaser that there are no ill effects from the possum fibers, it does not fit the profile of the cultural memento.

Recently, a woman described a most unusual souvenir from a trip to China. Culturally, China presents many interesting souvenir possibilities. Silk is the first and most obvious souvenir possibility. A new, respected contemporary art scene might spur one to purchase a Chinese interpretation of one of the 19th century masters. A Chinese Degas, for example, might feature a young women dressed in traditional garb engaged in dance practice. This woman traveler, however, entranced by the Terra Cotta Warriors in the Xi’an Shanxi Province, had a replica of one of these warriors sent to her home. She was not sure what to do with it, but she knew she wanted it.

The Terra Cotta Warriors are unique figures buried in the Mausoleum of the First Quin Emperor. Each contains distinctive facial features and is clothed in tradition army attire. This attire includes neckwear. Necks are wrapped in silk cloth. This discovery of men's neckties was important because before the 1974 discovery of the warriors, the first men neckties were attributed to the Romans. The accepted Roman reference was a section of Trajan’s Column in Rome, AD113. Legionaries sculpted in low relief wear neck cloths. Of interest is the fact that these neck cloths are tied in various ways. There is evidence of an early four-in-hand tie.

It is estimated that there are 8,000 figures buried in the Mausoleum. These figures are life-like and life-sized. Variations are based upon the rank of the warrior. Paint chips indicate that at one time the warriors had a realistic appearance. This army is a form of funerary art. The idea was to defend the Emperor’s kingdom in the next life.

The woman who purchased the replica of a Terra Cotta Warrior for her home had to launch her own defense. What was she thinking? mused many silently. A wonderful use would be to imitate the tradition of the statues outside of fashion stores. Picture this warrior standing outside a mens designer tie store. What better endorsement for the classic ties that stand the test of time.

What Do Ancient Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors Have to Do With Men's Ties? by Strangelittlebird is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.