Cixi Necklace

Empress Dowager Cixi was one of the most influential women in Chinese history. Rising from the imperial court to become the dominant political figure of the late Qing dynasty, she played a central role in shaping China during a time of immense change.

Born in 1835, Cixi entered the Forbidden City as a young concubine and later became the mother of the Tongzhi Emperor. Through intelligence, political skill and determination, she rose to extraordinary power and became the effective ruler of China for decades. Acting as regent behind the throne, she guided the empire through periods of internal upheaval, foreign pressure and reform.

Cixi’s image became closely associated with imperial splendour, court ceremony and the last great phase of dynastic China. Portraits of her present not only her likeness, but also the richness, symbolism and authority of the Qing court. Today, she remains one of the most recognisable and compelling figures of nineteenth-century China.

Created exclusively for the British Museum’s China’s hidden century exhibition, the Cixi Necklace draws on this extraordinary historical legacy. Reimagining the image of Empress Dowager Cixi in gold, the design transforms an emblem of imperial identity into a modern piece of wearable history.