Ancestress Portrait

Ancestor worship, which has been important in Chinese culture since the pre-historical period, conveys the importance to Chinese of offspring and the belief that the deceased remain connected to the world of the living. Venerating ancestors constitutes a core idea in Confucianism. In Chinese Buddhism and Daoism, it is also essential in fulfillment of religious practices.

Ancestor portraits were used in funerary rituals and placed on the family altar to receive daily offerings of incense and food. Like depictions of deities, the ancestress shown here is represented in a frontal posture with a dignified and remote expression. The face is an idealized likeness of the sitter in formal dress, whereas the rest of the body is drawn with schematic outlines.