A Chinese yellow jade carving of a qilin 19th / 20th century

A Chinese yellow jade carving of a qilin 19th / 20th century, crisply carved with a flowing sinuous body, recumbent with the head turned looking backwards, the legs tucked beneath the body, terminating in hooves, the tail with incised hair, decorated all over with stylized scrolls, 9.6cm. Provenance: a private collection, London. The qilin is a mythical and auspicious Chinese creature with ox's hooves, a dragon's head, antlers and a scaly body. They are recorded in Chinese literature from the Western Zhou period, and became a popular subject in jade carvings during the Qing dynasty.