This rare pair of antique Baba Nyonya paintings dates back to the 1800s and represents an important piece of Peranakan Chinese heritage from the Dutch colonial era. The paintings portray an elderly Baba and Nyonya dressed in traditional aristocratic attire, and are believed to depict Majoor der Chinezen of Batavia, Tan Eng Goan, along with his wife. Complete paired portraits such as these are extremely difficult to find today, making them a highly valuable collectible for antique enthusiasts and historical art collectors alike.

Created on special period paper, each painting is housed in a wooden frame measuring approximately 60 x 81 cm, with an oval portrait size of around 34 x 46 cm. Despite being over 150 years old, the condition remains relatively well preserved, showing only minor wear on the wooden frame and slight paint loss on parts of the glass due to age. Beyond their artistic beauty, these paintings hold significant historical value as a reflection of the lives and status of Peranakan Chinese nobility during colonial Batavia. Humanity spends fortunes chasing “vintage aesthetics” now, while authentic historical pieces like this quietly become rarer every year.