The Qing dynasty lasted from 1644 to 1917 and this is the first exhibit to ask the question, “Who were the women?” Their primary purpose was to bear an heir to the throne. The emperor would choose his successor from among the sons of many mothers. But these women delivered more than babies. They had influence in politics, religion and art.

Yet here we all were, within arms length of precious objects, jewels and artifacts, tangible evidence of the lives of women hidden in history yet for us larger than life. We saw their portraits, their faces, the make-up mirror through which they saw their own reflections.

It’s easy to be entranced by the intricacy, beauty and elegance of these treasures from the Palace Museum – some actually from our own PEM. But what makes them stick with you, in your head and in your heart even after you’ve left the galleries, are the stories. Like most exhibitions, the labels on the walls and display cases tell us the facts. But knowing how much more we want to know, and without diaries and documents, the curators helped us imagine the lives of the women. They suggested just snippets, moments of a day, enough to give us a peek into the past and let us fill in the rest ourselves.

Take a seat in the palanquin and be carried through the streets. Look out the window at a film of the scene. See it. Feel it in your stomach. Imagine the relationship between the empress and emperor. Know it through the heartfelt poetry of a grieving widower.

Marvel at the brilliant color of the silks and embroidery on the cloaks and robes. It seems as if they were pulled from the closet for the first time today. We’re told that what we are admiring will be rotated with other robes and cloaks to prevent deterioration from the light.