Parchment; China, Qing Dynasty, c. 1900.

Parchment; China, Qing Dynasty, c. 1900.
Painted paper.
Presents some faults.
Measurements: 164 x 69 cm.
Antique Chinese scroll depicting imperial figures, probably an empress and the emperor The scroll shows two figures richly dressed in traditional Chinese attire, seated on a decorated divan. The text at the top, "????" (Huángtàihòu), translates as "Empress Dowager". The Empress Dowager was a figure of great influence in the Chinese imperial court, especially during the emperor's minority.
Aesthetically the piece derives from ancestor worship. Ancestor worship is possibly the most widespread religious practice in China, and has its roots in the most remote history of the country, in the earliest manifestations of Chinese culture. It is perfectly integrated in Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, and extends to all spheres of Chinese religious life.