Treasures on the global stage

Wherever you are on the planet, chances are that one of these days you'll be able to admire the regalia of China's kings and queens on your own doorstep

Set off by the dark tone inside the exhibition hall, the glitter and glamour of the gold accessories announced their regal existence, in a way their owners must have done half a millennium ago.

They once belonged to the vassal kings and queens who lived in China during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a time when the privileged class flaunted its immense wealth, through something that was shamelessly pretentious yet unabashedly beautiful: gold.