Large Chinese Ancestor Portrait, Scroll, Qing Dynasty
Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Paintings: Pre 1900: Item # 1213176
Please refer to our stock # WD46 when inquiring.
ABOUT ANCESTOR PORTRAITS: The Chinese have long had a profound connection to their ancestors. They believe that death doesn't end a person’s relationship with the living, and that, if properly worshipped in private family rituals, the spirits of their ancestors will bring them health, long life, prosperity and children. In Imperial China, filial sons, as part of their family duty to care for the spirits of their ancestors, paid homage to them in ritual ceremonies, placing food offerings before the portraits of their forebears. Chinese commemorative portraits 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.