QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

The qilin is an auspicious animal which is a symbol of longevity, fertility and wise administration as it only appears during the reign of a benevolent ruler.

Compare to another cloisonne figure of a standing qilin also with a detachable cover on its spine, from the Palace Museum, Beijing which is illustrated in Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 168, no. 160.