Fine Portrait of an Imperial Civil Official

Fine Japanese brush painting of cherry blossom festival, ink and color on silk, 19th century, museum conservation framed. Conservation framed i...

Framed Chinese water color of riverside village with one artist seal. Overall size: 19.5 width 26" high image size 14 1/4" width 20" high. I am pl...

Framed Chinese water color of riverside village with boat with one artist seal. Overall size: 19.5 width, 26" high Image size: 14 1/4" width, 20" h...

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 ...

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

With exquisite detail and sparkling color, this portrait of a young woman is a remarkable example of reverse glass painting. Lending the finished work a subtle three-dimensional effe...

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