London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 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
Politic is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
×