Ancestor Portrait of a Lady, Late Qing Dynasty

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

Qing Dynasty Chinese Ancestral Imperial Officer's Portrait, 19th Century, The imperial officer seated in dignify posture on horseshoe back chair wearing a official hat and with rank ...

Antique pair of Qing dynasty ancestor portraits depicting a male and a female. Hand painted on silk and framed under glass within a large te...

A Chinese Qing Dynasty period painting from the 19th century of an ancestor group portrait in custom frame. Created in China during the Qing Dynasty, this vertical painting features ...

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

Large Qing-Dynasty Double Ancestral Portrait China, late 19th century (Guangxu period, c. 1880–1900) Ink and mineral pigments on paper, mounted and framed under glass Sight: 57 in H ...

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...

Deeply rooted in the belief that ancestors continue to guide and protect their descendants, many Chinese families pay homage to their departed loved ones through private rituals, see...

Stunning reverse-painted mirror from the 19th-century Qing Dynasty, depicting different scenes in a vertical narrative. Different scenes with symbolic and auspicious elements frame r...

Beautiful original Chinese Ancestor Portrait with a Chinese married couple great faded colors.