First edition · 2025 · Featured in Artists Magazine
Chinese Empresses
李湘笔下的中国历代皇后
Over 200 empresses, painted in watercolour and crushed gemstone on silk by an artist who spent 40 years inside the Forbidden City. Twelve years in the making — now a 188-page hardcover you can hold.
Hardcover · 188 pages · Full colour on 80–100 lb stock
Printed & shipped by our print partner Mixam. Signed copies available on request — free shipping in the U.S., same $120.
reimagined
pages
the making
the Forbidden City
Hardcover · Full colour on 80–100 lb stock · Printed by Mixam · Signed by both artists on request
Look inside
Organised dynasty by dynasty — every empress with her story
From the Western Han to the Northern Song and beyond. Each spread pairs an original painting with the woman’s history: who she was, what she held together, and what it cost her.
Why this book costs what it does
Painted with crushed gemstones. On silk. By hand.
These are not digital illustrations. Every portrait began as a watercolour on silk, using mineral pigments ground from crushed gemstones — the same technique used in the Chinese imperial court, and the one Xiang Li spent four decades practising and restoring at the Forbidden City.
- Mineral pigment, not dye. Crushed gemstone holds its colour for centuries — which is why we printed in full colour on stock heavy enough to carry it.
- Silk, not paper. The weave shows through in the reproductions; you can see it in the plates above.
- Painted at scale. Empress Wang is 72″ × 36″ — six feet of silk. The book reproduces work made to be stood in front of.
- Twelve years of work. Over 200 portraits, researched and painted one at a time.
The artist
Forty years inside the Forbidden City
Xiang Li 李湘 comes from a lineage of China’s most renowned painters and spent over forty years working at the Forbidden City in Beijing, restoring and creating imperial-tradition artwork. Chinese Empresses is her life’s work, made with her daughter Fei Wu, who brought it out of the studio and into museums, classrooms and libraries across the U.S.
“My dreams are not finished. As long as I can paint, I will continue turning those dreams into reality.”
— Xiang Li, in Artists Magazine
Exhibited, featured & collected
The paintings in this book have hung here
Museums, universities and libraries across the U.S. have shown this collection — and Artists Magazine gave it a full page in “Off the Canvas”.
Who it’s for
A $120 book is usually a gift
For the art lover
A full-colour reference of a technique almost nobody still practises — mineral pigment on silk, from an artist trained inside the imperial collection.
For mothers & daughters
Made by a mother and daughter, about the women history wrote down last. It reads as a gift before it reads as a book.
For libraries & classrooms
Shown at Harvard’s museums, the MFA and public libraries across Massachusetts. We sell direct to museum shops and take bulk orders — get in touch for pricing.
Order direct
Signed by both Xiang Li and Fei Wu
Request a signed copy and it ships from Xiang’s home in Central Massachusetts, inscribed by both the artist and her daughter. Same $120, free shipping anywhere in the U.S.
Buying for a museum shop, library or classroom? Ask here too — we’ll send trade pricing.
Prefer email? Write to [email protected].
Goes straight to Xiang and Fei. We usually reply within a day or two.
Before you buy
Questions people actually ask
Is it hardcover? What’s the paper like?
Yes — a hardcover, 188 pages, printed in full colour on heavy 80–100 lb stock. Weight matters for this book: the paintings use mineral pigment on silk, and thin paper flattens the colour. This stock doesn’t.
Can I get a signed copy?
Yes, on request. Signed copies are inscribed by both Xiang Li and Fei Wu and ship from Xiang’s home in Central Massachusetts. Same price — $120, with free shipping anywhere in the U.S. Request one here and tell us who it’s for.
Why does checkout happen on Mixam?
Mixam is our printing partner. Every copy is printed to order in full colour and shipped directly to you, which is how a hardcover 188-page art book stays at $120 rather than gallery pricing. You’ll check out on their site. If you’d rather order direct from us, use the form above instead.
Is the text in English or Chinese?
The text is in English. A Chinese edition is in the works — we expect it in late 2026 or early 2027. Join our list and we’ll tell you when it’s ready.
Do you sell to museums, libraries and shops?
Yes. The collection has been shown at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Worcester Art Museum, Harvard’s museums and libraries across Massachusetts, and we sell direct to museum shops, schools and libraries. Send us a note and we’ll put together a quote.
Trade & bulk pricing
| 5–9 copies | $102 each (15% off) |
| 10–24 copies | $90 each (25% off) |
| 25+ copies | $78 each (35% off) |
| Museum & retail shops, for resale | $60 each (50% off) |
Signed copies are available on bulk orders too — just ask.
How long does shipping take, and where do you ship?
Signed copies from us: we ship within 2–3 business days from Central Massachusetts via USPS Media Mail. Arrival time varies by location — Media Mail is economical rather than fast, so allow a week or more. Free anywhere in the U.S.
Standard copies from Mixam: each book is printed to order, so the timeline depends on quantity and destination. Mixam shows your exact delivery date and cost at checkout, and ships U.S. orders via FedEx, UPS or UPS Mail Innovations. They ship internationally too; duties and taxes are the recipient’s responsibility. Mixam’s shipping details →
Ordering for a specific date? Choose the signed copy — we can tell you exactly when it goes out.
First edition · 2025
Twelve years of painting. One book.
188 full-colour pages, over 200 empresses, printed to order and shipped worldwide.
Secure checkout on Mixam · Printed to order · Ships worldwide