Untitled

Unknown

early 18th century · Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware) · Asian Art

The wonderful beast painted on this vase appears at first glance to be a qilin, a mythical and composite creature that has the body of a deer and the head, horns, and hooves of a dragon. The feet of this creature, on the other hand, appear to be those of a large feline such as a lion or tiger, which makes a positive identification difficult.

Artist

Unknown

Date

early 18th century

Medium

Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware)

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913