The ch'ilin often appears as a decorative motif in folk art. For example, temple stone carvings sometimes depict "a ch'ilin bearing a book," in allusion to some legends about Confucius.
麒麟也常見於民間裝飾，例如廟宇的石雕就常有「麒麟負書」的圖案，典出孔子的傳說。