A Hirado ware porcelain figure of a kirin (in Chinese, qilin). The mythical creature is part lion with the body of a dragon and the hooves of a deer. It represents good fortune, protection, prosperity, longevity and fertility. The recumbent kirin figure is executed with masterful attention to detail and form.

Meiji Period (1868 - 1912)

Dimensions: 5 1/2" x 1 3/4" x 3 1/2"