Image size: 44.5 x 31.9 cm
This glass painting of General Guan Yu (center) and his attendants Guan Ping (with a white face) and Zhou Cang (with a black face) was likely worshipped in a Chinese home or shop in Singapore. Recognisable by his distinctive red face, Guan Yu is upheld as a paragon of loyalty, and is also worshipped as the God of Trade and God of Wealth. While the Chinese have had glass for nearly 2000 years, they only painted on it after contact was made with the Dutch in the 17th century. Chinese glass paintings were also restricted to portraiture of people or gods.Such glass paintings were considered an improved and more durable version of the paper portrait that was used previously. They were easily found in Singapore during the 1960s but their use has declined in the 1990s.
