Diamond pearl emerald and enamelled gold parure (Photo/GT)
Pearl jewelry is not just an expensive accessory but can also be seen as a piece of art. The Pearls, Treasures from the Seas and the Rivers exhibition, which kicked off at the National Museum of China on Tuesday morning, looks to demonstrate this point with a pearl-themed exhibition featuring 130 rare and beautiful pieces from the Qatar Museums, as well as imperial masterpieces from the National Museum of China's own collection.
According to one of the exhibition's curators, Dr. Hubert Bari, the exhibition showcases the history of pearls over the past 2,000 years, from the Roman period until the 21st century, in six parts: The Natural History of Pearls, Pearls in the Arabian Gulf, Pearls in History, Natural Freshwater Pearls, Pioneers of the Cultured Pearl and Cultivating Pearls the Chinese Way.
A highlight of the exhibition is the Phoenix Coronet made for the Empress Xiaoduan during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), which was unearthed in Beijing's Dingling Mausoleum in the 1950s.
The coronet is well-known for its exquisite design, which features nine gold dragons, nine gold phoenixes, more than 100 rubies and more than 5,000 pearls.
The exhibition is scheduled to run until January 8, 2017.
