Lan Desheng paints a warrior's head. ZHANG TIANZHU/FOR CHINA DAILY

Modern concept

Ma Yu, a 48-year-old conservator-restorer, who has been in the industry 28 years, is a pioneer in restoring different types of terracotta figures during each excavation.

He gained expertise working near the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum. During research and restoration work on figures of acrobats excavated in 1999, Ma used modern techniques to record and study the newly unearthed relics.

In 1996, he attended a two-year training course in Xi'an sponsored by the Italian government, on which he was taught by academics and researchers from Rome.

He vividly remembers an incident from this time, when a student in the class kicked a fragment, and the teacher became very angry. Since then, Ma has paid a high degree of attention to cultural relics, as his teachers always gave them the greatest respect.

"The training had a great influence on me, and gave me a better understanding of the relics. I also hope to make something myself and leave it to future generations," Ma said.

He uses modern equipment, including an ultra-depth-of-field microscope, to minutely examine each piece of pottery in the studio.

He also documents the piecing together of terracotta figures, recording their size, weight, preservation status, surface painting, patterns and excavation location carefully on spreadsheets.

New discoveries always give Ma a buzz. During restoration work, he accidentally found some high-resolution and complete fingerprints, which could provide vital clues to the figures' age, gender and athletic prowess.

"My aim is to do everything conscientiously－it's vital to restore the relics," he said.

To date, Lan has spotted the names of more than 100 craftsman etched neatly on different parts of the Terracotta Warriors.

He said, "We employ materials used in the Qin Dynasty to restore and repair the warriors and their horses－a legacy we will bequeath to the next generation.

"I hope that in the future, when more advanced technology or new restoration methods emerge, conservator-restorers can repair the relics based on the foundations we have laid and better restore them to their original state."

Jian Min contributed to this story.