The qilin is described in Chinese sources as a composite: the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, the hooves of a horse, scales like a dragon and a single horn. It is one of the four auspicious creatures of Chinese tradition and appears at the entrance of buildings and in pairs flanking doorways.
Because the qilin is a composite, the sculptors who carve it make choices — how much dragon, how much deer. This pair is on the heavy side, with pronounced scales and a fairly blunt snout. Cast in solid brass and hand-chased. Both pieces carry felt pads.