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Hello everyone.

I don't believe this to be of any value. In fact, I picked it up in a thrift shop. I just wanted to know more about it.

For instance, is the portrait of someone significant? What do the printed characters translate to?

My knowledge in such things is lacking, maybe this purchase is the gateway to finding out more about this fascinating culture and history.

Thanks for your attention.

Best wishes,

Hugh.

Hi Hugh,

I can't make anything out from these photos, can you post closer/clearer ones? If the person depicted isn't an actual historical figure, there's probably some folklore or interesting cultural story attached to whoever it is. But it's highly unlikely that the portrait actually resembles the person in question. Except for some Song emperors and empresses and some painters, realistic portraits of historical figures are relatively uncommon in Chinese art until pretty recently. I think your guy is wearing headgear similar to the early emperors depicted in this ~Tang handscroll: https://scrolls.uchicago.edu/view-scroll/61

In fact it's possible that your image is reproducing one of the people depicted in that scroll. You can enlarge the handscroll image quite nicely if you fiddle around with the symbols at the top left.

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