The women are generally depicted wearing sumptuous, embroidered robes and elaborate jewelry made of gold and pearls or inlaid with dazzling turquoise kingfisher feathers. The portraits provide glimpses of a court often filled with intrigue.Īlmost evenly divided between images of men and women, the portraits-some nearly life-size-show the royal family members dressed in the elaborate formal robes required for attendance at court or more casual attire in moments of leisure. 16, 2012, the exhibition features 16 paintings of imperial men and women, related by blood or marriage, whose intricate liaisons and political ambitions shaped the history of the Qing dynasty from the early to mid-18th century. Sackler Gallery presents lavish portraits, rare jewelry and other objects that offer a fascinating look at imperial family life in the later half of China’s Qing dynasty. “Family Matters: Portraits from the Qing Court” at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M.