Washington - Nov. 5, 10 a.m.: A hefty cargo crate is wheeled into a brand-new gallery at the National Geographic Museum. Seven sets of hands carefully guide the crate into position in the exhibition area.

The whir of screwdrivers is the only sound for a few minutes before the lid is removed. The team, comprising Chinese and National Geographic workers, lifts the crate off two dollies. They loosen a set of wrapped wooden rods. Then, with a quick, precise count, seven people tip the crate to a standing position. More screws are removed. The team slowly moves its cargo out of the crate and settles it on the floor.

And there he is - an ancient sculpture of a cavalryman who once protected the tomb of China's first Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, created more than 2,000 years ago, now standing in downtown Washington. He is one of the famed Terra Cotta Warriors, almost ready for his U.S. audience.

As it happens, this particular warrior is the first one the public will encounter beginning Thursday, when the National Geographic show "Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor" opens. Beside him will be a 750-pound horse, also made of terra cotta.

The warriors are a magnetic attraction, both because of their legendary history and the way they, along with 7,000 other sculptures, were discovered: accidentally. The Washington exhibition offers the public the rare chance to examine 15 of these lifelike figures up close, each sculpted by hand, no two faces are alike, the largest group of them to tour the United States.