Last Empress of China

This is a rare, if not unique statue carved in wood from China from the Consort empress Zhen or the Empress Dowager herself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Dowager_Cixi Emperor Guangxu's most beloved consort, who initially liked but eventually hated by The Empress Dowager "Cixi" and killed on her orders. The exquisite resemblance with the photographs that are available of the world famous ill fated favorite of the emperor shows a stunning resemblance with her. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consort_Zhen The photos were acquired in the early 80s in Hong Kong on Hollywood road in an Antique shop by myself. I could not believe my eyes as I had seen this statue on several occasions in my grand parents home where my grand father kept it in a small box. The statue is now held in a bank safe. To read more of her history go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Dowager_Cixi Consort Zhen posthumously known as Imperial Noble Consort Keshun, popularly, but incorrectly, known as the "Pearl Concubine", was a concubine of the Guangxu Emperor of the Qing Dynasty in China. Wikipedia Born: February 27, 1876 Died: August 15, 1900 Spouse: Guangxu Emperor Siblings: Consort Jin Cixi admired the consort's talents and personality, but the consort's unfavorable political opinions marred her relationship with Cixi. She was put to death by Cixi in 1900. This statue was inherited via my grand parents of my maternal grand grand father who traveled to several times to China pre 1900. He was a famous Landscaper to the Tzars of Russia and did several grand parks designs in St. Petersburg. He was invited to China for a possible western park project but it never came to fruition. I hold some of his travel documents to Russia how he traveled from there to China or otherwise my grand mother could not tell me as she was born in 1900. He actually brought back Majong games from China and made them a popular society game in Vienna.
http://visualsenses.smugmug.com/PRIVATE-GALLERIES/Family-Genealogy-pictures/11514803_kNGt7T#!i=810616716&k=96TXMDR Being an advocate farmer/gardener/ designer he was also the 1st to import "Chicons" Endives from Belgium to Austria