Ancestral Portrait of a Princess

Portrayed here is the wife of a prince. She is shown formally seated on a lacquer throne in full court attire. The princess wears a brown-ground dragon robe beneath a sleeveless surcoat, a detachable collar, and a winter hat surmounted by a ruby. Her costume and accessories designate her a princess of the first rank. This exquisitely detailed painting was commissioned along with an equally grand portrait of her husband for use in ancestral ceremonies. The pair of paintings would have been hung side-by-side in the clan ancestral hall during rituals honoring the deceased couple.