Tag: Empress Dowager Cixi

Mother’s Tourmalines

Posted in Collecting, Empress Dowager Cixi, Jewelry, Memoir, Tourmaline, Uncategorized3 Comments

It was always hard to know what Mother wanted—though in certain respects she made her wishes clear, mostly having to do with cleaning up some mess or getting the hell out of her way. When I was a child following her around the kitchen, she’d say, sharply: ‘Get out from under my feet!’ She said it so… Continue reading Mother’s Tourmalines

The Pearl Cape

Posted in Collecting, Empress Dowager Cixi, Jewelry, Memoir, Pearls, Uncategorized2 Comments

The photo above, taken sometime between 1902 and 1904, is of the Empress Dowager Cixi of China. Holding her hand is Sarah Pike Conger, wife of the American ambassador to the Qing court. The photo is extraordinary for a number of reasons, but first, let’s talk about those pearls. Cixi is wearing the famous pearl cape of her… Continue reading The Pearl Cape