Daoist Immortal on a Qilin and Two Attendants

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

By the late 18th century, subjects that deal with Daoist immortals and their fantasy stories were increasingly chosen for paintings. For their wish-granting message, Daoist figure paintings such as this one were often commissioned to celebrate festive occasions. Judging from its dimension, this paining used to be part of either a small-size multi-panel folding screen or a large-size album that depicts a series of Daoist immortals and Buddhist deities. As a fantastical animal hybrid of a griffin and a sphinx, the animal qilin was used as a symbol of heavenly blessings.