Terracotta Warrior Chess Set and Carrying Case

More than 2,200 years ago, China's first emperor, in search of immortality and eternal power, ordered the construction of a vast underground army of over 8,000 life-size terra cotta warriors. For 36 years, more than 700,000 laborers worked on this project. Each of the terra cotta soldiers has a unique and distinctive face, and it is thought that real soldiers served as models. Formal excavation began in 1974 and still continues today in the city of Xian. The soldiers are regarded as one of the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century.