XI'AN - The cultural relics authority of Northwest China's Shaanxi province will send two experts to repair a terracotta warrior statue whose thumb was stolen by a member of the public while on display at a Philadelphia museum last year.

The provincial cultural heritage department said related US departments should be held responsible for the damage, and guarantee the safety of the relics on display.

The department has sent a notice to the museum, advising it will dispatch two experts to repair the terracotta warrior.

The Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center has organized over 260 overseas exhibitions over the past 40 years, and has never come across a situation such as this, said an official with the center.

The statue, which is a cavalryman, dates back to at least 209 B.C. It is one of 10 Chinese terracotta warrior statues currently on display at the Franklin Institute in Pennsylvania. The exhibit will run until Mar 4.