Pair of Chinese Patriarch Matriarch Ancestral Portraits

Monumental Chinese Qing ancestor scroll portrait painting of a high ranking official or Imperial court matriarch. Features a intricately decorated Min...

Mesmerizing pair of late 18th/early 19th century Japanese Edo period byobu screens by Shibata Gito (Japanese 1780-1819). The paintings depict Chinese immortals in a dreamy landscape....

Impressive pair of Japanese screens from the Taisho period meiji. Each six-panel screen depicts an image from the 24 paragons of filial piety ...

Pair of framed Chinese silk embroideries from the 19th century with supporting documents from Hong Kong. Each piece is approximately 15 ...

Early 20th century pair of Chinese ancestral paintings in custom frames. Nice antique pair with vibrant colors in wood and gilt frames, in...

We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely pair of Antique Chinese Ancestral Portraits on the original paper with lovely glazed...

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 th...

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...