Monumental Framed Antique Chinese Ancestors Painting

An ink painting on the fan surface by Japanese Zen artist Hidaka Tetsuo (1791-1871), now framed in a traditional Japanese carved wood frame with silk fabric mat and decorative hangin...

A contemporary ink painting on paper by Chinese artist Li Jin (1958-) presented in a white shadowbox frame. Entitled in English "Morning Practice in California", this series of work was painted in 2017 when the artist resided in US. The Chinese title inscription is "Blossom Branch" with artist's name signed in both Chinese and English. The painting is considered "Expressionistic-abstract". Using only various shades of ink, the poetic work depicts a large lotus flower with the pistil in the center composed of clusters of mediating arhats, the beings who have gained nirvana through Buddhism practice (known as Luohans in Chinese). There is a strong association of lotus flower and purity in Buddhism. The wisdom one can possibly achieve may be considered omnipresent and morphogenetical quantum and be part of everything around us. The image size is 13.5" x 13.5". Provenance: Purchased in 2017 from the Ink Studio at West Bund Art and Design Fair, Shanghai, China. Li Jin (1958-, Tianjin, China) is an ink master who draws from the tradition of Chinese literati ink painting and creates contemporary works celebrating all aspects of everyday life. Having explored color washes for two decades, Li Jin has translated them into a masterful control of tonality-the "five colors of ink"-in a series of monochrome paintings in the expressionistic-abstract "Da Xie Yi" manner. Through the ink medium's inherent sensitivity and ambiguity, they evoke the nuances of human existence and raise profound questions about self-representation and subjectivity. Trained at Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts (graduated in 1983) and has been a leading figure in contemporary Chinese ink art...

A Korean folk Shamanism watercolor on textile matted with woven brocade and presented in a wood frame with an oriental style metal hanging hardware. The painting was estimated to be from early 20th century circa 1910-1930s. It depicts Guan Yu (160-220AD), a legendary Chinese warrior and general from Eastern Han Dynasty. Long worshiped in China as a deity, across all three major religions, Guan Gong...

A Korean Folk Art painting watercolor on silk mounted with brocade border and framed. The watercolor was likely dated from late 19th century to the tur...

Qing Dynasty Chinese Ancestor painting. Antique Chinese Ancestor paintings are sought after for their warm colors and traditional pa...

Believing that the departed continue to hold influence over the lives of the living, many Chinese households honor their ancestors in private family rituals, invoking their spirits for long life, health, and prosperity. Commemorative portraits, which came into vogue in the late Ming and Qing dynasties, were commissioned specifically for ancestor worship and were believed to house the spirits of the deceased. When properly cared for, one's ancestors were believed to be a powerful source of honor, protection, and good luck. This pair of ancestor portraits was hand-painted in the late-19th century and beautifully depicts a Qing-dynasty couple. While some ancestral portraits offer a more stylized representation of one's ancestors, this particular pair is painted with incredible realism and life-like expressions. Rather than depict the pair in a regal hall wearing elaborate finery, the couple is shown in a quiet home environment, seated at either end of a square tea table. Their surroundings are minimal, practically undecorated, and they wear simple, matching blue silk robes. Two young children stand beside them, each trying to capture the attention of their grandparent. We love the painting's close attention to detail and the glimpse it offers of Qing-dynasty interiors - from the carved apron of the marble-top table to the red silk lotus slippers...

A nice pair of Chinese ancestor family group portraits, 19th century, on paper, framed in teak frames under glass. Twelve characters total in per...

Chinese ancestor portrait of a Mandarin Dignitary. Antique tempera on paper painting of a Mandarin Dignitary wearing a red court dress and s...