Beijing, Palace Museum

The National Palace Museum in Beijing, one of the world’s most prestigious museums, opened its doors to a jeweller for the first time: towering over the entrance to Beijing’s Forbidden City, the Meridian Gate Gallery is usually reserved for exhibitions on the history of royal courts such as Versailles, the splendour of Napoleon or the Empire of the Tsars.
"Cartier, Jeweller to Kings" was the overlying theme of this exhibition which was curated by Mr Song HaiYang, curator at the Palace Museum and renowned jade expert. Chinese-inspired jewellery, precious objects decorated with traditional motifs such as the dragon, crafted from jade, lacquer or mother-of-pearl, and Chimera and Portique mystery clocks, were among the noteworthy pieces on display at the exhibition, which attracted more than 235,000 visitors.