London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

All that glitters: Hong Kong Palace Museum explores bond between women and jewellery

All that glitters: Hong Kong Palace Museum explores bond between women and jewellery

‘Cartier and Women’ highlights impact of Chinese aesthetics on women’s lifestyles and fashion around the world, museum director says.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum will display about 300 pieces of women’s jewellery, accessories and other precious objects created by Cartier starting from Friday, after four and a half years of preparation by the curator.

Apart from celebrating the influence of women on the French jewellery house through creations spanning the 19th century to the present day, the four-month showcase “Cartier and Women” would highlight the impact of Chinese aesthetics on women’s lifestyles and fashion, said Louis Ng Chi-wa, director of the museum on Tuesday.

Ng said he hoped the exhibition would convey to visitors the changes in women’s lives and social status, as well as the influence of the elements of different countries on jewellery design and creation.

“This exhibition implements the founding philosophy of the museum, that is, we promote dialogue and exchanges between different civilisations and connect China with the outside world,” he said. “Economic and cultural exchanges around the world began to resume after the Covid-19 pandemic. This exhibition shows the importance of cultural exchange and Hong Kong’s ability to promote international cultural events and attract Chinese and foreign tourists.”

Divided into four sections, the exhibition delves into the stories of the bond between women and jewellery, focusing on how Chinese art and culture inspired Cartier’s creation in areas such as style, motif, materials and craftsmanship.

Daisy Wang Yiyou, deputy director of curatorial and programming for the museum, said it selected items influenced by China because the institution was committed to the study and appreciation of the country’s art and culture and enhancing the city’s status as a hub for exchange.

“This exhibition is about cultural exchanges between China and the world, in particular Europe and France,” she said.

The first section, “Royal and Aristocratic Women: Elegance and Prestige”, highlights the role of women from nobility and the social elite in the early history of Cartier in the 19th century.

Among the artefacts on display are items owned by Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, who was Cartier’s first royal patron, and Princess Marie Bonaparte, niece and great-grandniece, respectively, of the French emperor Napoleon.

The second section, “New Women: Breaking with Tradition”, explores developments in jewellery design. It features Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier’s first female creative director who revolutionised modern and contemporary jewellery and her creations.

One of her pieces on display is a panther clip brooch made of platinum, white gold, diamonds and sapphires. Made in 1949 for the Duchess of Windsor, it is said to represent women’s strong personalities and rising status.

This Panther clip brooch was created by Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier’s first female creative director.


Also on display is a necklace made of 27 large jadeite beads as a wedding gift for American socialite Barbara Hutton in 1934. Jade has been a symbol of wealth and status in Chinese decorative art, and Wang said the heiress had been interested in the country.

More elements of Chinese art and other places can be found in the exhibition’s third section, “Inquisitive Women: Cross-cultural Inspirations”, where artefacts such as a Chinese-style vanity case made in 1928 are on display.

The case, made of gold, platinum, coral, jade, diamonds and other precious materials, features a garden scene with a lady on the inlaid plaque, which was modelled on a Chinese porcelain plate produced during Emperor Kangxi’s rule (1662-1722).

Brigitte Lin loaned this tiara to the museum for its new exhibition.


The fourth section, “Influential Women: Glamorous Legends”, explores the relationship between jewellery and female icons in modern and contemporary times, featuring items from the collections of Hong Kong and international celebrities.

Highlights include pieces owned by American actress and princess of Monaco Grace Kelly and Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor.

The section also features precious items from personal collections of famous Hong Kong actresses Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia and Carina Lau Ka-ling, including a tiara made in 1919 of platinum and diamonds, and a 1906 tiara, respectively, as well as exhibits from billionaire businesswoman Pansy Ho Chiu-king.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×