Vintage Red Robe Chinese Ancestor Family Portrait Painting Set

Ancestor worship has been an essential practice of Chinese culture since ancient times. During the Imperial eras, it was a sacred familial duty to care for the spirits of deceased ancestors. Commemorative portraits, or ancestor paintings, such as these, became essential everyday objects within the household. This set of ancestor paintings depicts a Qing Dynasty first civil rank nobleman and his wife. His rank can be surmised by the flying white crane mandarin square adorning his red robe. Crane symbolized longevity and wisdom. Thus, the crane mandarin emblem denoted the wearer as the first and highest-ranking civil officer in the Qing court. The officer''s wife is also depicted in a complementary robe with a matching mandarin badge to signify her husband''s rank. In domestic situations, the left-hand seat was the seat of honor and reserved for the husband. When a couple is together at social events, the wife always flanks her husband''s right. These two ancestor family portraits are fully framed in solid, distressed black, wooden frames. Front glass panels are provided to protect the paintings from dust and scratches. Matching brass hanging hardware is fully equipped, ready to be hung.Fully assembled. This item will be shipped from Westmont, IL 60559 U.S.A• Use: Wall Decor, Wall Plaque, Painting• Material: Wood and Canvas• Color: Red• Make: Hand-painted• Origin: China• Dimensions: 30.5"W x 1"D x 48"H each• Attributes: Asian, Oriental, Brass Hardware, Qing Style, Wooden Frame, Glass Front, Set of Two