Framed Chinese Pen and Ink Ancestor Portrait in Red Dress

Vintage (20th Century) Chinese pen and ink ancestor portrait capturing the honoree seated and wearing an elaborate hat and navy dress, on a beige b...

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

Vintage (20th Century) Chinese pen and ink ancestor portrait capturing the honoree seated in a red chair on a patterned floor and wearing an elabor...

Chinese ancestor portrait depicting a man in flowing golden robes decorated with medalions featuring dragons, seated above a floor featuring additional dragon designs in a heavy rect...

A beautiful Ancestor portrait of an important Chinese Matriarch. The piece is hand painted in vibrant colors and has held the test of time. The gilt wood framing is an unusual fram...

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...

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

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