Giraffe with Two Keepers Unidentified artist In 1414, a giraffea creature unknown in China at the timewas presented to the Yongle emperor (r. 1403-24) from the king of Bengal, which was a major trading center on the maritime route between the Arabian Peninsula and China. The Chinese immediately associated it with the qilin, an auspicious mythical creature. As a qilin only appears during the rule of a sagacious ruler, courtiers composed a number of sycophantic encomia celebrating the arrival of the giraffe as an omen that legitimized the reign of the Yongle emperor, who had usurped the throne. The many nearly identical paintings commemorating this event attest to the impact of this gift on the court. The giraffe also influenced the design of the qilin rank badge used for nobles.The giraffe's arrival in China was occasioned by the extraordinary naval expeditions of Admiral Zheng He (1371-1433). Between 1405 and 1433, he commanded seven expeditions, the largest consisting of more than t