ANTIQUE IMPERIAL ANCESTOR PORTRAIT OF AN EMPEROR AND EMPRESS, 31IN x 74IN (79cm x 188cm)

拍品描述

A finely executed Chinese imperial ancestor portrait depicting an emperor and empress seated together in formal court attire, rendered in ink and mineral pigments on silk and mounted as a traditional hanging scroll. The imperial couple is shown frontally and symmetrically, seated upon a ceremonial throne before an elaborate screen decorated with five-clawed dragons, flaming pearls, and auspicious cloud motifs—iconography reserved exclusively for imperial authority. The emperor is dressed in a blue court robe bearing a dragon mandarin square, while the empress wears a richly patterned red robe with elaborate phoenix-themed headdress and jewelry, signifying her rank and status within the Qing court. Below the throne, a pair of golden dragons flank a flaming pearl, reinforcing the imperial symbolism and cosmic order associated with rulership. The rigid posture, frontal presentation, and hierarchical composition are characteristic of ancestral veneration portraits, created for ceremonial use in ancestral halls rather than for personal likeness or narrative expression. Such portraits functioned as ritual objects, intended to embody the presence and authority of the deceased during commemorative rites. The scroll bears a traditional title strip reading “Qing Emperor and Empress Double Portrait”, confirming the intended subject as an imperial couple rather than a generic court pairing. The painting is mounted in silk brocade and is accompanied by its original fitted storage box, bearing early handwritten inventory notes identifying the work, its dimensions, and prior valuation references—an important element for provenance continuity and collector confidence. Based on stylistic execution, pigments, mounting style, and condition, the work is best dated to the late Qing dynasty to early Republic period (circa 1880–1920). While not a palace workshop original, it represents a high-quality ceremonial portrait produced for elite or commemorative use in keeping with imperial conventions. Acquired from a Metro-Washington DC estate. It measures 31 inches x 74 inches. FREE SHIPPING FOR THIS SCROLL WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES OF AMERICA., 31IN x 74IN (79cm x 188cm), LOT REF #26-149

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