89 A superb jade figure of a longma, a mythical beast with the head and body of a dragon and horse’s legs, rising out of the Yellow River. Its head is raised with its mouth open revealing its teeth and tongue, it has a bulbous nose with flaring nostrils, bulging eyes and two horns tied by a ribbon; its eyebrows and ruff are sharply defined with serrations and it has an incised beard. Its powerful body has a notched backbone, scaly haunches and a ribbed chest; its bushy tail is curling and flowing with crisply incised hairwork. To the beast’s right are the vigorously curling waves of the Yellow River on which balance the Books of Knowledge. The base is flat. The stone is a very fine pale celadon-green tone with some lighter striations. Kangxi period Height: 4 3/8”, 11 cm A longma worked in a very similar manner and with the same striking characteristics to the head, formerly in the collection of Oscar Raphael and now in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, was exhibited in the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, 1935-6 and illustrated as no. 2864. It is also illustrated in Nott, Chinese Jade throughout the Ages: A Review of its Characteristics, Decoration, Folklore and Symbolism, pl. LVII; Wills, Jade of the East, no. 110, p. 124; and Palmer, Jade, pl. 23. Two related examples are illustrated in Jadeware (III): The Complete Collection of Treasures of The Palace Museum, no. 94, pl. 114; and Hartman, Three Dynasties of Jade, no. 21, p. 17.