Bo horse of Duntou Mountain, named1667 historical plate
Actual1000-pixel image directly inspected and full printed anatomical/location caption read. White one-horned horse with ox tail, printed caption explicitly names Mao River. Later pencil Unicorn is not a primary Chinese identity. Smithsonian catalog dates1667 and classifies public domain.
Overview
The Bo horse lives in the Mao River, which rises from Duntou Mountain and flows east into Yin Marsh in the Shanhaijing. It has a white body, an ox’s tail and one horn. Its sound resembles a human call. Duntou is described as rich in gold and jade but without vegetation. The creature’s river habitat distinguishes it from a purely terrestrial one-horned horse.
A directly inspected Smithsonian 1667 plate depicts the single horn and oxlike tail; the caption names the Mao River. This𩣡馬 is distinct from the predatory creature written駮. A later pencil annotation reading Unicorn belongs to the scanned copy’s subsequent history.
Origins & earliest records
China; Shanhaijing Northern Mountains
Records & interpretation
Specific named received-primary passage directly read; exact historical image status recorded separately.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing, Northern Mountains
Second northern itinerary; Duntou Mountain and Mao River
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Shan hai jing: er shi san juan (Smithsonian digitized edition)
Physical volume2; illustration sequence. IIIF canvas index34 (zero based), 𩣡馬 / printed equine-name glyph; no printed page number asserted
Actual 1000-pixel image directly inspected and full printed anatomical/location caption read. White one-horned horse with ox tail, printed caption explicitly names Mao River. Later pencil Unicorn is not a primary Chinese identity. Smithsonian catalog dates 1667 and classifies public domain.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary text transcriptionShanhaijing Northern Mountains received primary textResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationBo horse of Duntou Mountain, named1667 historical plate
Actual1000-pixel image directly inspected and full printed anatomical/location caption read. White one-horned horse with ox tail, printed caption explicitly names Mao River. Later pencil Unicorn is not a primary Chinese identity. Smithsonian catalog dates1667 and classifies public domain.
