This large portrait is a reproduction of the paintings produced in China for centuries as part of the ritual of ancestor worship. Families would honour their forbears with offerings placed in front of these paintings, which were always shown with the subjects face on and often life size. Sometimes they depicted individuals or groups of more than one generation, but also often show couples as is the case here. Normally the subjects would be shown seated and wearing official robes to show their status. Here the man and his wife wear robes with bird insignia as a symbol of their civil rank. The painting is supplied with a black frame as shown.