Chinese Empresses
李湘笔下的中国历代皇后
217 empresses, painted in watercolor and crushed gemstone on silk by an artist who spent 40 years inside the Forbidden City. Twelve years in the making — now a 364-page hardcover you can hold.
Hardcover · 364 pages · Full color on 80–100 lb stock
- $120
- Printed to order
- 217
- Empresses reimagined
- 364
- Full-color pages
- 12
- Years in the making
- 40
- Years painting at the Forbidden City
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 watercolor 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 practicing and restoring at the Forbidden City.
- Mineral pigment, not dye. Crushed gemstone holds its color for centuries — which is why we printed in full color on stock heavy enough to carry it.
- Silk, not paper. The weave shows through in the reproductions.
- 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. 217 portraits, researched and painted one at a time.
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.”
Exhibited, featured & collected
The paintings in this book have hung here
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Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Boston, MA
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Worcester Art Museum
Worcester, MA
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Harvard University Museums
Cambridge, MA
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New England Botanic Garden
Boylston, MA
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Cambridge Public Library
Cambridge, MA
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Creative Hub Worcester
Worcester, MA
Featured in Artists Magazine — “Off the Canvas”, full page →
Who it's for
For the art lover
A full-color reference of a technique almost nobody still practices — 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.
Before you buy
Questions people actually ask
Is it hardcover? What's the paper like?
Yes — a hardcover, 364 pages, printed in full color on heavy 80–100 lb stock. The weight matters: mineral pigment needs substantial paper to hold its richness.
Is this the first or the second edition?
The second. It restores a whole imperial reign that was missing from the first — the Jiaqing — corrects 437 entries, and adds 24 pages of sources and notes citing 731 references. The first edition was 188 pages.
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.
Why does checkout happen on Mixam?
Mixam handles the printing and fulfillment. Print-on-demand keeps the price at $120 rather than gallery pricing, and it means the book is never out of stock.
Is the text in English or Chinese?
The text is in English. There is also a Chinese edition of the same book, published and available now — see 中国历代皇后.
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. Institutions can be invoiced; trade pricing is below.
How long does shipping take, and where do you ship?
Signed copies ship within 2–3 business days via USPS Media Mail, free within the U.S. Standard copies are printed to order by Mixam and ship worldwide; their timeline shows at checkout.
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 |
Twelve years of painting. One book.
364 full-color pages, 217 empresses, printed to order and shipped worldwide.
Every painting in this book can be seen for free in the collection — one page per portrait, with its story. Browse the paintings →
Questions about an order? Write to xiangliart@gmail.com