Charger with a qilin, anonymous, c. 1350
This charger is painted with a qilin, a mythical beast. According to legend, a qilin has the scaly skin of a dragon, the body of a deer and the hooves and tail of an ox. It is a benign creature, which refrains from stepping on insects or eating live grass. The qilin possesses both male (qi) and female (lin) powers.