Antique Chinese Ancestor Gouache Portrait Painting

Item Details

An antique hand-painted gouache Chinese ancestor portrait on paper board by an anonymous artist, circa late 18th-century. The painting depicts a thin elderly male seated in an ornately carved chair lined with the pelt of a large wild cat. He wears a royal blue robe that covers his entire body, hiding his hands, adorned with dragons and a colorful foliate motif. He is accessorized by long beaded necklaces and a tall hat on his head. This stunning painting is unsigned and unmarked. It is presented without glass in a wooden frame with a black painted finish. Ancestor portraits were important paintings commissioned throughout Chinese history to pay respect to ancestors and displayed only on holidays, specifically during the Chinese New Year. Accurate representation of the ancestors’ facial features was of strict importance. The bodies, room decor, clothing and everything else; however, appeared flat, two-dimensional and generic in design to serve as a blank slate to display ornate clothing with symbolism to indicate rank and social standing.

Condition

- scratches and accretion on painting surface. Discoloration, foxing, paint loss and cracks visible to open wall space behind figure. Finish of frame is worn.

Dimensions

Item #

17CIN171-377