LONDON—The logistics of moving an army can be complicated, especially when the troops and matériel are made of centuries-old clay. "The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army" arrived at the British Museum this fall, which includes 120 amazing artifacts from the grave of Qin Shihuangdi, who reigned from 221–210 B.C. Along with 10 of the life-sized terracotta warriors that were initially discovered in 1974, the exhibition presents pieces discovered in the ongoing excavations that have not yet been abroad. These include other palace occupants Qin wanted to accompany him to the afterlife—full-figured terracotta horses, musicians, acrobats and bureaucrats, as well as numerous items in bronze—birds, urns, weapons and a half-size chariot.
 
Forty-six crates were built for these objects—the largest number of items to ever leave the centuries-old tomb. Representatives from China have been working to secure their safe transport to the current exhibition at the British Museum and then to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, where the show will travel in November 2008. Even the type of wood had to be carefully considered, says Frances Francis, registrar at the High, who explains that only lumber approved for import in China, England and the United States could be used (some wood can carry bugs). The less-fragile bronze, iron and stone pieces are packed together, but each horse and warrior requires a custom-made crate. These are packed similarly, with blocks of Styrofoam cut specifically to support the figure and sponge-wrapped in cloth to fill gaps. The horses must be suspended from metal frames within their crates because of their large bodies on slender legs.

Although the planning has been extensive, the journey has not been without unusual challenges. When more than two dozen packed crates arrived via truck in Beijing for their chartered flight to London, they would not fit into the hold of the plane and it was two days until they finally left the tarmac.

Once in London, the crates were too large to pass through the doorway of the Reading Room of the British Museum, where the exhibition is being held. The installation was delayed, as it became necessary to remove the doorframe. Even after this modification, the larger works had to be unpacked in the adjacent Great Court and carried into the gallery under the cloak of night.

Challenges abound, but China has entrusted the care of the objects to a special delegation that travels to each venue and helps with the packing and unpacking of the precious works. It’s not a common practice, says Francis, but these are no ordinary works. While officials refuse to release the actual insurance value secured for the exhibition, it is clear these soldiers are far from expendable—they’re irreplaceable.