Terracotta warriors displayed before visit to Atlanta

Beijing — A guy in shorts and a polo shirt walks into one of the buildings on the Olympic Green, to admire a collection of statues on display.

But this is not just another tourist. And these are not just any statues.

Michael Shapiro, director of the High Museum of Art, is taking in the display of Terracotta Warriors being shown at the Johnson & Johnson Pavilion. A major exhibition of warriors is headed to the High this November.

Given Beijing and Atlanta’s Olympic connection, Shapiro says, the timing couldn’t be better.

“It’s a harmonic convergence,” he said.

Five warriors, including a general, are on display here, along with some tools of their trade and several cases of fragments. It’s a cerebral addition to the Olympic Green (nearby, a group of street performers were juggling basketballs to the sounds of “My Humps” by the Black Eyed Peas).

Shapiro has seen the warriors half a dozen times, both in their native Xian and on display at the British Museum, but he retains a fresh sense of delight about them.

“A number of the pieces have clay stamps that indicate quality control, like when you buy a shirt and it says, ‘Inspected by No. 7.’ No. 7 was working in 220 B.C,” he said.

Shapiro and his wife are here with Coca-Cola exec Tom Mattia, who is on the board of the High. Watching the opening ceremony, he was struck by similarities between the 2008 drummers who performed at the beginning of the event, and the ancient warriors.

“Our culture is based on the individual, this culture has been based on the group ethos, which is manifestly evident here,” he said.

He hopes that with the Games wrapping up so close to the opening of the High’s warriors exhibit, Atlanta’s interest in China will bring them to the museum.

“It’s the ideal way into Chinese history,” he said.