This is an antique Chinese ancestor portrait scroll, possibly depicting the Empress Dowager Cixi. These portraits were prevalent during the late Ming and Qing dynasties and were commissioned as a sign of filial devotion. They typically depict the subject in a formal, frontal pose, often seated in a throne. The paintings were created for use in family shrines and often used during commemorative rituals. The scroll appears to be a gouache and ink painting on silk. Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) at middle age in Spring robes, gouache and ink on silk, unsigned, housed in faux bamboo frame with balsa wood mat Size: 16”x 36” plus 1.5” one side handle The bottom handle on one side is missing, and there is some fraying of the fabric - all in line with age