A giraffe at the Ming court
The Chinese court hails a giraffe as the mythical qilin
In 1414 envoys from Bengal, sailing with Zheng He’s fleet, presented a giraffe to the Yongle Emperor. The court saw in it a qilin, the auspicious beast that appears under a wise ruler, and a court artist painted its portrait.
Wikipedia (English) · 15th century
Did you know
The Ming court mistook a giraffe for the mythical qilin. It reached Nanjing in 1414 with Zheng He’s fleet, and officials congratulated the emperor: a qilin appears only under a sage ruler. Share →
In Japanese and Korean the giraffe is still called “kirin”, the name of the mythical qilin. The mix-up goes back to the giraffe presented to the Chinese emperor in 1414. Share →
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Europe
- 1429 Joan of Arc relieves Orléans — 15 years later
Eastern Europe & Russia
- 1410 Battle of Grunwald — 4 years earlier
- c. 1411 Andrei Rublev's Trinity — 3 years earlier
Middle East
- 1402 Battle of Ankara — 12 years earlier
Americas
- c. 1438 Pachacuti founds the Inca Empire — 24 years later
Alive at the time
- Johannes Gutenberg (aged 14)
- Joan of Arc (aged 2)
- Andrei Rublev (aged 54)
- Sigismund (aged 46)
- Zheng He (aged 43)
- Henry V (aged 28)
- Sejong the Great (aged 17)
- Charles VII (aged 11)
- Murad II (aged 10)
- Wenceslaus (aged 53)