Note on Giraffes in China
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I agree with Kathlyn Liscomb in
Art History 2002 that there are only 2 originals from which the existing (medieval) giraffes in
Chinese
paintings are descendants. The one in the scroll of Zeng Qi; and all the others are copied from the
scroll of Shen Tu.
Under my attempt to classify
them. A next generation of giraffe prints came to China with Ferdinand Verbiest in 1674.
(Not treated here). The only
other known medieval Chinese giraffe is from Ning Xian Wang (Zhu Quan) ; I Yu Thu Chih
(1430) (The Illustrated Record of Strange Countries) (treated under 1430).
