Vase with Mythical Creature Chasing Pearl

China

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 200

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.

Vase with Mythical Creature Chasing Pearl, Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware), China

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Vase with Mythical Creature Chasing Pearl, Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware), China
Vase with Mythical Creature Chasing Pearl, Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware), China
Vase with Mythical Creature Chasing Pearl, Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware), China
Vase with Mythical Creature Chasing Pearl, Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware), China

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