Chinese Ancestor Painting, Couple in Red and Black finish-matt in a bathroom or kitchen

in a bathroom or kitchen for storing jars

Once used either in a wealthy home or more likely by a Chinese apothecary

made with a metal wire frame and a red canvas shade

were actually used not just for holding offerings to ancestors

This chest in light elm is a modern interpretation rather than a reproduction

Chinese Ancestor Painting, Couple in Red and Black finish-matt in a bathroom or kitchenThis large portrait is a reproduction of the paintings produced in China for centuries as part of the ritual of ancestor worship. Families would honour their forbears with offerings placed in front of these paintings, which were always shown with the subjects face on and often life size. Sometimes they depicted individuals or groups of more than one generation, but also often show couples as is the case here. Normally the subjects would be shown