Opinion | Laminated brow trend has got nothing on eyebrow styles of ancient China – drawn to look like feathers, tadpoles, daggers or silkworm cocoons

I don’t know if it is the intended effect, but they look like a permanently surprised cartoon character with arched, bushy eyebrows. It is supposed to last only a few weeks, and for their sake, I hope that is indeed the case. The Chinese have a unique word, dai, that specifically refers to cosmetics for … Read more

Book extract: Marco Polo’s China travels have been doubted, but historian sees them in a new light

Extracted from The Light of Asia: A History of Western Fascination with the East by Christopher Harding, published by Allen Lane, January 2024 *** “Honoured emperors and kings, dukes and marquesses, counts, knights and townspeople, and all who want to know about the various races of mankind and the peculiarities of the various regions of … Read more