Ancestor Portrait, 'Lu Tai Tai', ink, colours and gold on paper, China, 18th century.

Ancestor portrait of the wife of an official. The sitter in this portrait wears an ornate outer vest decorated with shou 壽 (longevity) characters and rising and descending dragons amid clouds. The vest sits over a blue robe decorated with dragons flanking a flaming pearl. She is seated on an ornate chair with a tiger skin cover, the tiger’s claws can be seen at the base of her robe and on the arm of her chair. The hide on the inside of the tiger skin has been marked with swastikas. The chair is decorated with polychrome floral motifs.

Purchased from Dr H.G. Stockley in 1956, as one of a group of four paintings (E.360 to 363-1956). It is likely that Dr Stockley acquired these paintings when working as a medical missionary in North China from 1924-1927.

Ancestor worship was practised at all levels of society in ancient China. Ancestor portraits were displayed together with offerings to the spirits of dead members of the family, and were brought out on special occasions like New Year and birthdays.

E.363-1956