Chinese ceramic sancai roof tile in green and ochre pigments in the form of a Qilin or Kylin. The mythical beast is modelled in the round with a scaled body and sitting perched atop the half-cylinder tile. A similar example is held in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Provenance: From the Estate of C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan, Long Lake, Minnesota.

C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan (1926-2022) was a passionate world traveler and avid collector. It was through his travels that he was inspired to begin a lifelong relationship with the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), becoming a major sponsor of the institute and facilitating the growth of their Asian art department, which is now one of the best in the country. His generous donations to Mia allowed them to establish a fund for the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, one of the few endowed positions of this type in the museum field. He additionally served as a trustee of the institute, advocating for its operational growth. In its turn, the museum established a gallery named in his honor in recognition for his endowment fund and numerous contributions to their collection. The selections here showcase his talent and breadth of collecting, ranging from ancient statues to 19th-century woodblock prints. His appreciation for art persisted throughout his life and we are honored to offer items from his collection in this auction.
Height: 14 1/2 in x width: 11 in x depth: 6 in. No visible chips, cracks or losses. There is light wear throughout, consistent with age and use. Dust has collected in the recessed areas and dirt/residue has pooled, behind the figure.There are losses to the glaze along the figure's eyebrows. Crazing throughout. There is a circle of adhesive residue along the right bottom edge of the tile. There is a minute chip along the front right of the figure's shoulder. There is a minute chip atop the crest on the figure's head. There is a minute loss to the figure's left eye and left side of mouth. There is a crack where the figure's tail and spine ornamentation meet. There is a pooling of glaze along unglazed ceramic section. The glaze does not cover the front of the edge of the tile. Along the underside of the tile there is drillhole that does not affect the topside/figure. The underside of the tile is not glazed.