Two Years in the Forbidden City (9)-The Emperor Kwang Hsu
THE next day I arose earlier than usual and dressed in a great hurry, as I feared I might be late. When I got to Her Majesty’s Palace there were a few Court ladies there sitting on the veranda. They smiled and asked me to sit down with them as it was still too early, […]
Two Years in the Forbidden City (8)- The Court Ladies
WE retired from her room, but I noticed that two of the Court ladies did not come out with us. One of them said to me: “I am glad that I can rest a bit to-day, for I have been sitting three afternoons in succession.” At first I did not know what she meant. Then […]
When East Touched West: Chinese Art In French Courts
How the vestiges of history uncover the influence of Chinese art on the French aristocracy By the late 17th century, Europe had begun to set its sights on China, shifting its perception of the eastern empire from its previous view of it just being Marco Polo’s land of legends. That time period saw an increase […]