"Empress Dowager Cixi is a fascinating figure because she represents a contradiction — she wielded immense power in a world that sought to diminish women's authority," says the artist. "Cixi has been ...

In sixth-century China, a woman known to history as Empress Dowager Ling ruled over an empire called the Northern Wei.

The Northern Wei empire adopted laws, institutions and policies from both Taghbach and Han Chinese traditions. This cultural hybridity enabled the empress dowager to rule directly: On one hand ...

The Northern Wei empire adopted laws, institutions and policies from both Taghbach and Han Chinese traditions. This cultural hybridity enabled the empress dowager to rule directly: On one hand, the ...