Polychrome Seated Ancestor Figure

An integral part of traditional Chinese home life, ancestor worship before a domestic altar often featured painted ancestral portraits or tabletop ancestor figures. This early 19th-century ancestor figure was carefully hand-carved and painted to bear the likeness of one of its original owner's important forebears. The figure depicts a seated male official dressed in flowing robes. The polychromed finish has worn considerably over time for a beautiful, weathered texture. The small compartment in the back was used to hold consecration materials, such as a small paper scroll bearing a hand-written prayer.