Chinese Ancestor Portrait

These elegant oval frames were custom made to hold a set of “his and hers" oil portraits; probably a wealthy Italian couple. The wood carving is well-detailed and quite sturdy. The ...

Introducing the "GT Custom TV Art Wall" by The Golden Triangle. This art installation presents a solution to a very modern design problem: “What do...

This red sandstone carving was once embedded in the wall surrounding an aristocratic compound. It depicts scholars in a garden, eating and conversing. It came from Shanxi Province an...

This beautiful painting is from Italy and made circa 1950s-1960s. Made from paint on canvas the painting features a gold wooden frame; artist unknown. Great piece to add color to you...

This intricately detailed composition is a late-Qing dynasty ancestor portrait depicting several generations of a family's male ancestry. Or...

Vintage (20th Century) Chinese pen and ink family ancestor portrait capturing nine honorees seated in front of scrolls bearing text framed by curta...

A Chinese ancestor painting on silk in faux bamboo frame, 20th century. 17 ¼ by 30 inches

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...