Set of Five Chinese Reverse Glass Portraits, c. 1900

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...

Popularized during the Qing dynasty, reverse glass painting requires an artist to essentially work backwards, starting with details and shading before adding color and form. Lending the finished work a subtle three-dimensional effect, this exacting technique doesn't allow for any corrections, and is only revealed to its full effect when the glass pane is turned around. This example dates to the late 19th century and depicts the Taoist immortals He Xiangu and Cao Guojiu. Said to have attained immortality through their studies of the natural world, the Eight Immortals each represent a different condition in life and impart blessings of prosperity and longevity. The charming scene is likely one of a set of...

Reflecting the role that ancestor worship played in Chinese culture, this Qing-dynasty painting depicts several generations of family, dressed in intricately-detailed and brilliantly...

Prevalent in fine Chinese interiors as early as the Tang dynasty (618-906), standing screens with decorative panels served numerous functions as portable architecture. Used to sectio...