Gudiao of Mount Luwu, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed蠱雕 caption identifies horned diao comparison, man-eating and鹿吳山. Illustrator depicts a clawed quadruped with bushy tail, explicitly differing from base bird-of-prey comparison. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; ancient text composition is earlier. Anonymous illustrator; GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor, neither asserted as artist.
Overview
The Southern Mountains Classic places Gudiao in the waters issuing from Mount Luwu. It resembles a diao, conventionally an eagle or large bird of prey, but has horns. Its voice resembles an infant’s cry, and it eats people.
The inspected 1667 illustration repeats the horned diao comparison and man-eating attribute in its caption, but depicts a four-legged, horned and clawed creature with a raised bushy tail. That particular later pictorial interpretation differs from the bird-of-prey comparison in the text; neither witness is silently changed to match the other.
Origins & earliest records
Chinese mountains-and-seas textual geography
Records & interpretation
Actual named primary paragraph and labelled 1667 plate directly inspected.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing, 南山經
Southern second sequence, Mount Luwu (鹿吳山); base text distinguished from commentary and later illustration.
- 02
Shan hai jing: er shi san juan, illustrated physical volume 2
Actual IIIF canvas index 15, zero based; printed label inspected.
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 volume 2; Shan hai jing tu illustration sequence. IIIF canvas index 15 (zero based); labelled creature plate, no printed page number asserted
Actual downloaded page bytes inspected in image-worker contact sheet. The inspected 1667 illustration repeats the horned diao comparison and man-eating attribute in its caption, but depicts a four-legged, horned and clawed creature with a raised bushy tail. That particular later pictorial interpretation differs from the bird-of-prey comparison in the text; neither witness is silently changed to match the other.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary Chinese text transcriptionShanhaijing primary mountain noticeResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Primary illustrated editionSmithsonian digitized illustrated volume 2Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationGudiao of Mount Luwu, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed蠱雕 caption identifies horned diao comparison, man-eating and鹿吳山. Illustrator depicts a clawed quadruped with bushy tail, explicitly differing from base bird-of-prey comparison. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; ancient text composition is earlier. Anonymous illustrator; GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor, neither asserted as artist.
