Pair of Miniature Chinese Ancestor Portraits, 19th C., Framed
Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Paintings: Pre 1837 VR: Item # 1285146
Please refer to our stock # WD29 when inquiring.
CULTURAL BACKGROUND: The Chinese have long had a profound connection to their ancestors. They believe that death does not sever a person’s relationship with the living and that, if properly worshipped and honored in private family rituals, the spirits of their ancestors can bring them health, long life, prosperity and children. In Imperial China, filial sons of all classes, as part of their sacred duty to care for the spirits of their ancestors, paid homage to them in ritual ceremonies. Chinese commemorative portraits, commonly referred to as "ancestor paintings," were painted specifically for use in ancestor worship. Besides being compelling art, the paintings reveal much about Chinese social and cultural history. With the development of photography in the 19th century, the painting of ancestor portraits began to wane.