A wucai 'Qilin' sleeve vase, Qing dynasty, Shunzhi period. Estimate 7,000 — 9,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's

of tall cylindrical form, well-painted with a continuous scene depicting a qilin, the mythical beast seated on its back haunches, with one front leg raised, its head turned over its back with bulging eyes and mouth agape revealing fangs and emanating wisps of fiery smoke all in vivid tones of underglaze blue with green, iron-red, yellow and aubergine enamels, the base unglazed - Height 14 1/2  in., 37 cm

Provenance: Collection of P.J. Donnelly.
Acquired in Bellmore New York, 22nd December 1979

Literature: Soame Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, The Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1912), London,  1959, pl. XI, no. 2.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 15 Sep 2015, 02:00 PM