Pair of dragon’s heads or imperial qilin

These enamelled copper dragon’s heads or qilin are characteristic of the taste of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796) for exceptional craftsmanship.
The enamel technique was brought to China by Jesuit missionaries in the late 17^th century and developed in the early 18^th century in the imperial workshops created by Kangxi (1662-1722) in the Forbidden City. In the 18^th century, workshops began producing enamel in the Canton region in southern China.