Charger with a qilin, China, Yuan dynasty, Jingdezhen, c. 1350, blue and white porcelain, h 8cm × d 45.6cm. AK-RBK-1965-88. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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.