Skip to main content

Secondary sourcePainting1414; this copy 16th century

Tribute Giraffe with Attendant

After Shen Du · 1414; this copy 16th century

A painting of the giraffe brought as tribute from Bengal in 1414 and presented to the Yongle Emperor's court, where it was taken as an auspicious omen.

Depicts a tribute giraffe presented to the Yongle Emperor, which his court treated as an auspicious omen of his reign.

Ask Yongle Emperor about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Hanging scroll painting on silk of a tall spotted giraffe led by a bearded man in a green headcloth and red robe. The giraffe's neck is held by a green rope. Vertical Chinese calligraphy inscriptions fill the upper left and right, with red seals at the bottom corners.
After Shen Du, Tribute Giraffe with Attendant, 1414 (this copy 16th century). Philadelphia Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This hanging scroll painting on silk shows a giraffe led by an attendant. It records a real event: in 1414 Bengali envoys presented a giraffe to the Yongle Emperor as tribute. The emperor commissioned the painter Shen Du to depict the animal, and this surviving version is a later copy of that original.

Why it matters

The giraffe was identified by some at court as the mythical qilin, a sign of good fortune, though the emperor himself was reportedly skeptical of that claim. The image reflects how the Ming court used exotic gifts from distant lands, gathered through the treasure voyages, to display the emperor's far-reaching power and virtue.

Look closer

  • Why would officials want to connect a real animal to a legendary creature?
  • What does the inscription and seal placement tell you about how the painting was meant to be read?
  • Why might the emperor have been cautious about accepting the

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Yongle Emperor on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Yongle Emperor sources

Meet the AI Yongle Emperor →
An open traditional Chinese bound volume with two facing pages of handwritten vertical columns of black brush-written characters, framed by red border lines. Dark cloth-covered edges surround the pages against a light background.Book

Primary source

Yongle Encyclopedia

Various scholars led by Xie Jin · 1403-1408

Painted portrait of a bearded man seated on an ornate throne, wearing a black hat and a bright yellow robe with a jeweled belt. The throne and red floor cloth are decorated with dragons and jewel motifs against a pale background.Painting

Secondary source

Seated Portrait of Ming Chengzu

Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City, a large golden-yellow tiled double-eaved palace on a tiered white marble terrace under a clear blue sky. Many tourists stand on the stone courtyard and climb the staircases.Artifact

Primary source

Forbidden City

1406-1420

A tall, arched grey stone stele in a dark museum setting, lit from the front. The top is carved with a dense band of intertwined dragons or scrolling figures around a central round motif. The border has a repeating carved pattern, and the central field is smooth and blank.Artifact

Primary source

Galle Trilingual Stele

15 February 1409

Cover of a traditional Chinese bound volume, grey-green with a cream label framed by dark double borders. The label reads 明實錄 明孝宗寶訓 in black vertical characters. White stitching lines run down the right edge.Document

Secondary source

Ming Shilu

compiled after his reign

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Yongle Emperor now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions