Rising above the treetops at Kew Gardens stands one of London's most unexpected landmarks — the Great Pagoda, a ten-storey Chinese tower built in 1762 as a gift for Princess Augusta, founder of the gardens. Designed by Sir William Chambers, who had travelled and studied architecture in East Asia, it was one of the earliest examples of Chinoiserie in Europe, a reflection of Georgian Britain's growing fascination with Chinese art and design.
Each tier was once adorned with eighty gilded dragons, which gradually weathered away over the centuries and remained missing for over two hundred years, until a major restoration brought them back in 2018, hand-carved and 3D-printed to their original design. At 50 metres tall, it remains one of the tallest and most recognisable follies in any English garden, and visitors can still climb its 253 steps for sweeping views across London.
This embroidered ornament captures a touch of that exotic charm, a lovely addition to the tree each Christmas.
Size: 4 inches
