Iris Apfel's Personal The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City Book

From Iris Apfel's personal collection: A copy of The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City, which coincided with the Peabody Essex Museum/Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition by the same name, which opened in 2010/2011. This book came to us with a handwritten note addressed to Iris, which we've left as is for the next collector.

Each book will arrive with a provenance card.

Official synopsis of the book: "For centuries, China's Forbidden City has captured the world's imagination. With parts open to the public since 1925, nearly 8 million tourists flock there annually. Yet the elegant, intimate Qianlong Garden—itself a “mini-Forbidden City” inside the Forbidden City—has remained sequestered from view. The Emperor’s Private Paradise gives an unprecedented and in-depth analysis of the garden and its extravagant imperial interiors. Essays offer an overview of the history of Chinese gardens and the extraordinary reign of the Qianlong emperor, while contextualizing the importance of the Qianlong Garden and its artworks. This lavishly illustrated volume is published to accompany a remarkable exhibition of ninety objects from the Qianlong Garden, many of them never seen before, including superlative examples of Qing murals, paintings, wall coverings, furniture, architectural elements, and jades. By illuminating this little-known yet architecturally significant area of the Forbidden City, this volume represents a major contribution to the fields of Chinese art, history, architecture, and gardens."

Iris Apfel's Library: Renowned maximalist icon Iris Apfel started her career as an interior decorator before founding her textile company, Old World Weavers. For her eclectic sense of personal style, she drew from art, culture and prints and patterns from all over the world. Prized in her personal collection of objects were a vast series of books ranging in subjects from photography to art, design, textiles and fashion. These undoubtedly served as a main source of inspiration behind all her wildly styled, mesmerizing fashion looks. Some of these books are inscribed, bookmarked, or embedded with personal notes. We will note which ones have these little Easter Eggs in the descriptions.

Due to their authentic provenance and delicate nature, items from the personal collection of Iris Apfel are final sale and non-returnable. 

Dollchunk Bazaar is not affiliated with the estate of Iris Apfel, all of Iris Apfel's items were purchased from a recent Iris Apfel public estate auction in New York City.

CONDITION: Books from Iris Apfel's library are in good, used condition unless otherwise stated as new and unopened. These books have some minor visible wear and tear, including but not limited to wear on the cover, jacket, pages, etc.

By purchasing items from Dollchunk Bazaar, you recognize that all items are secondhand--sometimes over 100 years old!-and therefore have normal wear and tear. The condition of all items can be seen in photos. If you have any questions, reach out to customerservice@dollchunk.com before purchasing.