Page Seven
Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms, Volume on Birds and Beasts, Part Two

The Rhinoceros

The Rhinoceros original: 犀 (Xī) is found beyond the southern frontiers. Its body is shaped like an ox, resembling a water buffalo but with the head of a pig, a large belly, and short, squat legs. Each foot has three hooves, and the animal is black in color.

It possesses three horns: one on the crown of the head, one on the forehead, and one on the nose. The horn on the nose is known as the "food horn" original: 食角 (shí jiǎo); it is small and not oval in shape. The animal has a fondness for eating thorns.

There are also rhinoceroses that possess only a single horn. The front legs of the rhinoceros are straight, so the animal often rests by leaning against a tree; if the tree should happen to fall, the creature is unable to stand up again. This mirrors a common medieval myth—also found in European bestiaries regarding elephants—that exotic beasts lacked joints in their legs and could not right themselves if they fell.

The variety known as the "Sky-Communicating" Sky-Communicating Rhinoceros original: 通天 (tōng tiān). This refers to a highly prized rhinoceros horn with a white streak (the "communicating" line) running through it, believed to possess spiritual powers and the ability to detect poison. has a natural loathing for its own shadow and prefers to drink only from muddy water.

The patterns found within the grain of the horn are said to resemble a hundred different things. These grain patterns are classified as "inverted insertion," "upright insertion," or "waist drum."

inverted insertion

For the "inverted" type, the internal passage is clear from the middle of the horn downwards. For the "upright" type, the passage is clear from the middle upwards. As for the "waist drum" type, the internal passage is interrupted in the middle and does not connect through.

Because of these internal structures and colors, the Persians original: 波斯 (Bōsī) refer to ivory as "White Darkness" and the rhinoceros horn as "Black Darkness."

The term "Darkness" here likely refers to the "hidden" or "inner" qualities of the material—the internal patterns that are not visible until the horn or tusk is processed or carved.