This wonder of the world is now in Cincinnati

The mystery goes all the way down to the details. 

Take a closer look at just the stone armor suit that's part of the new exhibit, Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China.

The installer at the Cincinnati Art Museum did just that – look closely – as he created the display at the Eden Park institution in early April.

And he immediately had a question for nearby curator Hou-mei Sung.

"How do they drill without shattering the stone?" he asked.

Sung, an Asian art expert, knows a lot. A whole lot.

She helped write a catalog on the exhibition that opens here on April 20.

But even Sung can't quite answer exactly how workers, some 2,000 years ago, drilled tiny holes in stone plaques and connected each with copper wire. 

Experts everywhere, actually, have been mystified by this stone armor for some 40 years. 

That's because this object is part of the greatest archaeological discovery of our time: An ancient army of life-size terracotta soldiers and horses.

This buried treasure is part of the massive mausoleum of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China.

Covering 38 square miles – that's about half the size of the city of Cincinnati – archeologists estimate that some 8,000 life-size terracotta figures are buried next to the emperor's tomb in northwest China.

Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China features 120 objects, including terracotta warriors, the maximum amount of warriors the Chinese government will loan outside of the country. 

The show also features arms and armor, ritual bronze vessels, jade ornaments, precious jewelry and ceramics. More than 40 of these works have never been on view in the United States before this exhibition, according to the art museum. 

Sung aims for the exhibit to show how China's first emperor unified the region through political, social and cultural reform, as well as his military campaigns. 

So, what did those efforts look like exactly? A unified currency. A written script, too, Sung said.

This era and his leadership shaped China for 2,000 years, she noted. "It's a continuous civilization," she said. 

It's quite the legacy, one that Qin Shi Huangdi aimed to secure during his lifetime. 

That's where these terracotta figures and monumental burial site come in. 

He was obsessed with immortality, and he believed an elaborate necropolis would help secure it. 

That's why Qin Shi Huangdi began building it as soon as he became emperor. It's estimated that 700,000 workers spent 38 years carrying out this charge, Sung said. 

"It's just unbelievable compared to modern technology," she noted. "It's still a mystery how they were made."

Experts tried to make a replica of a chariot uncovered there, for instance, and they could never succeed using the same materials used back in 200 BC. 

These workers also found the still-unknown way to preserve the weapons from corrosion, Sung added. 

Plans for the tomb exist in historical text from 91 BC, but very little was known about the marvel before 1974.

That March, peasants digging a well uncovered clay figure fragments. 

Then, some weapons. Floor tiles. And a terracotta head. 

Those life-size terracotta figures are the most famous and fascinating of the discoveries so far. 

Each is different and detailed.

The thousands uncovered represent the full ranks for the Qin military structure. Archeologists have discovered everything from a stable boy to a general statue. 

Sung ensured that the 10 terracotta warriors brought to Cincinnati represent that range, too. 

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We'll meet a figure from the infantry. A standing archer and a kneeling archer. A middle-ranked soldier. A general. 

"All of these give you a different perspective," Sung said. "They all have different costumes and headdresses to indicate their ranks."

Each figure boasts a unique expression, one that seems appropriate based on his role. 

Take the general, Sung said.

"He is calm, he is in control," she said. "The workers were very thoughtful and careful."  

Sung noticed something else when she set up one of the warriors in the Cincinnati Art Museum.

She was so very close to the back of the head as she worked. 

There was something unusual about the hair tie made of clay.

A subtle red color. 

All the figures used to be brightly painted. And the terracotta figures that still display the paint today don't leave China.

There is concern that exposure to sun and pollution, and the travel, will damage the paint, of course.

That's also one of the reasons why just 20 percent of the mausoleum has been excavated in the last four decades. 

Experts worry they might damage what remains underground. So the work is moving slowly and carefully.

"There are still reports of new findings," Sung said. 

Still, there is one thing that remains at the site more than anything else. 

Mystery. 

Want to go?

This is a special exhibit. Like really special. So, there are details you need to know before visiting Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China.

When: April 20-Aug. 12

Where: Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive.

Tickets: Due to expected crowds, the museum will require timed tickets.

General adult admission tickets are $16 at the front desk or $14 with discount code online.

Tickets are $8 for college students, seniors (65 and older) and children (6-17 years)

Tickets are free for members. Family CAM members receive two adults and up to five child tickets per visit.

Individual CAM members receive 1 free ticket per visit. Timed member tickets are required, and can be acquired online or at the front desk.

How long does it take to see it all? Museum staff says to plan for an hour of viewing time.

Can you see it for free? Sure can.

Free access to the exhibition will be available 5-8 p.m. Thursdays and from 5-9 p.m. during Art After Dark events on Friday, April 27, May 25, June 29 and July 27.

Timed tickets are required during these times, and can be acquired day-of, in-person at the front desk beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Free tickets are subject to availability, and there's a limit of five tickets per person per day.

Any more extras? The museum will offer extended member hours from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Members and paying guests accompanied by a member may reserve tickets in-person at the front desk. 

Need more? Visit cincinnatiartmuseum.org/terracotta.