YEAR OF THE HORSE - Tapa dura

Continuing popular series begun with Year of the Dragon; Illustrated by an acknowledged master of fantasy art, Wayne Anderson; Includes a forecast for the next twelve-year cycle for those horn under the sign of the Horse; 2002 is the year of the Horse in Chinese astrology. Your year sign is reckoned to have the most influence over your life, and this detailed guide examines exactly what this means for those born under the sign of the Horse. It forms a clear and insightful introduction into the complicated system of Chinese astrology, so that each individual can work out a thorough profile of themselves. Combining mythology, Chinese folktales and classic literature, this beautifully illustrated gift book will entrance readers everywhere. The chance discovery, in a Suffolk auction in 1998, of a journal written by an English traveller in China - the second instalment of which is published here - was one of those finds that are at once delightful, unexpected and, ultimately, highly mysterious. The unknown eighteenth-century author investigates the horse and its significance in Chinese myth, culture and astrology, guiding the reader through their own astrological profile, and tracing the horse's depiction in classic Chinese literature and folktale. This beautifully illustrated journal celebrates the horse in all its guises, from the thundering war steed of the ancient Chinese warriors, to the gentle and mystical Qi-Lin whose appearance foretells the birth of a great Emperor. Full of digressions and incidental details, the sketchbook style of both prose and pictures gives a glimpse of the dreams and daily life of China when it was a world within itself.