EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL CHINESE ANCESTOR PORTRAIT 13063. PORTRAIT OF A LADY OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY. Imperial China, Qing Dynasty, 18th - 19th century. 30 lbs. 25 x 47.5 inches in a 29 x 50 inch frame. The lady sitting on an ornate ebony platform chair on a carpet embroidered with Chinese guardian lions (shishi), dressed in an exceptionally ornate embroidered gown and headdress, the gown ornamented with imperial 5-toed dragons. Only members of the imperial family could be depicted with 5-toed dragons, officials could be depicted with 4-toed dragons, and the 3-toed dragon was used by lower ranks and the general public. Improper use of claw number was considered treason, punishable by execution of the offender's entire clan. Excellent original condition with no repair or restoration. Mounted under glass with a heavy plywood backing. Extremely rare original portrait of a member of the Chinese Imperial family! Provenance: A private American collection. Acquired at auction in Manhattan in the 1990s. Price on request.