Lot 849. A blue and white qilin basin, late Ming dynasty, early 17th century; 14 7/8 in. (37.8 cm.) diam. box. Estimate: USD 10,000 - USD 15,000. Price realised USD 27,500. © Christie's 2021

The basin is decorated on the interior with a qilin leaping within rocky landscape. The cavetto is decorated with three sections of landscapes with pavilions, below the everted rim reverse-decorated with ruyi scrolls. The exterior is decorated with flower and leafy sprays, and the base is inscribed with an apocryphal Chenghua mark.

Note: The unusual depiction of the scaly qilin in the present basin appears to be inspired by depictions on the Yuan-dynasty blue and white wares, such as the dish in the Topkapi Saray Museum in Istanbul, illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, London, 1986, vol. II, p. 401, no. 563.