Noble Consort
18 inches high by 17 inches wide
Watercolor, acrylic, gouache on 22K gold leaf
Lady Tatara was the favorite consort of the Xianfeng Emperor. She was said to be the most beautiful woman in the Imperial City and was endowed with a natural grace and allure. Written descriptions of her beauty are among the most illustrious and elaborate of the Qing Dynasty. The emperor was besotted with her and spent most of his nights with Lady Tatara. Only when she was pregnant did he settle his favors on other concubines.
In 1860, Lady Tatara fled to Rehe Province with the emperor and his other wives and consorts when British and French troops stormed the Imperial City during the Second Opium War. In 1861, the Xianfeng Emperor died and was succeeded by the Tongzhi Emperor. Because she had served the old emperor for many years and was widely acknowledged as his favorite, the new emperor elevated her to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort Dowager.
