Shibata Zeshin ‘1807-1891’, Barley

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 Chinese late Qing Dynasty period framed painting from the early 20th century of a royalty related couple with dragon motifs painted on a linen canvas. Created in China during the late Qing Dynasty in the early years of the 20th century, this custom framed painting depicts a couple wearing either a red (a symbol of luck in China) or green robe. The depiction of dragons relates them to the Imperial family, but having four claws and not five as codified, the couple is likely part of the royal family, not the Imperial couple themselves. Accented with typical motifs such as bats, flaming pearls and rain-filled clouds, the robes are filled with symbols. Wearing ornate headdresses, the couple is sitting on elegant chairs. Set inside custom made frames, the paintings show great signs of age. While the entire piece measures 40.5"W x 1"D x 53"H, the painting itself is 36.5"W x 49". With its vivid colors and interesting subject, this Chinese Qing Dynasty painting...

Since the 12th century people in China have used folding screens and doors to partition and decorate their homes—the vivid scenes backing the screens added life and color to a room. ...

This exquisite Indian miniature painting is a 19th-century reproduction of the Chamba School painting "Portrait of Rāj Singh of Chamba," dated circa 1785. Beautifully honoring the or...