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Late 19th century Ancestor portrait of a Ming warrior and a Multi ancestor portrait painted on fabric
“An Ancestor portrait depicts a forebear shown full-length, customarily in a rigidly frontal and symmetrical pose. The facial expressions of ancestors are virtually all identical – dignified and detached. This iconic pose is derived from traditions of portraying deities and rulers in China as images meant to inspire awe and devotion. In standard practice, portraits were made as pairs in a hanging scroll format, with husband and wife portrayed separately. Paintings were usually executed on paper or silk and larger ones, sometimes depicting the entire lineage (could be hundreds of figures) were painted on cotton cloth.”