Collection Online
Medium
porcelain (hard-paste)
Measurements
3.4 × 22.6 cm diameter
Accession Number
2024.492
Department
International Decorative Arts
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Patricia Begg OAM Bequest, 2024
Gallery location
17th & 18th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work

This Meissen plate and adjacent vase are decorated with the qilin, a mythical composite creature that has the body of a deer and the head, horns and hooves of a dragon; it originated in China but featured across both Chinese and Japanese culture. The red flames shooting from its wings and tail are emblematic of its supernatural powers.