Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition
Tang dynasty white-glazed rabbit. Photo courtesy of Shanghai Museum
The audience saw the rabbit head of Haiyantang in the Old Summer Palace at the National Museum of China "Lu Yu Jin'an - 2023 New Year Exhibition". Photo by Du Jianpo
The rabbit figurine of the Tang Dynasty zodiac terracotta figurine. Photo by Chen Tuo
Ming dynasty white jade double rabbit ear cup. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of China
On the occasion of the Spring Festival of the Year of the Rabbit, many museums have launched related theme exhibitions, such as the National Museum of China's "Lu Yu Jin'an - 2023 New Year Exhibition", the Shanghai Museum's "Jade Rabbit Spirit - Shanghai Museum Year of the Rabbit Spring Festival Exhibition", Shanxi Museum's "Dazhan Hongtu - Lu Yu Chinese Zodiac Cultural Relics (Pictures) Group Exhibition", etc., showing the rich connotation of rabbit culture through colorful cultural relics.
Zodiac culture
The 12 Chinese zodiac signs are twelve kinds of animals that match the 12 earth branches in traditional Chinese culture, including rats, cows, tigers, rabbits, dragons, snakes, horses, sheep, monkeys, chickens, dogs, and pigs, which can be used to indicate the year of birth of a person. The formation and development of the zodiac has gone through a long and tortuous process, and totem culture, astronomical calendar, customs and habits have all had a certain impact. The earliest written record of the Chinese zodiac is found in Wang Chong of the Eastern Han Dynasty's "On Balance and Things". The rabbit ranks fourth in the zodiac, matching the dun in the twelve earth branches.
Tang Dynasty zodiac terracotta figurines, collection of the National Museum of China
The terracotta figurines are shaped like the head of the beast, and the head of the beast is the image of the 12 zodiac signs. The figure stands upright, wearing a collared wide-sleeved shirt, which hangs to the feet, and the sleeves of his hands are arched in front of his chest.
The early zodiac figurines were more realistic and simple animal shapes. In the later development process, the artistic component of the zodiac figurine gradually increased, becoming a combination of animals and figures, which appeared vivid and interesting.
Qing Dynasty Old Summer Palace Haiyan Hall Rabbit Head Collection of the National Museum of China
The head of the rabbit is one of the bronze statues of the head of the beast of the Chinese zodiac in the Western Building of the Old Summer Palace, which was designed by the Italian Lang Shining during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. The bronze statues of the Chinese zodiac represent the twelve hours of a day and night, and every hour, the bronze zodiac statue representing this hour automatically spits out of the fountain from the mouth. At noon, twelve bronze statues spew spring water from their mouths at the same time. The bronze statue of the Chinese zodiac with water chimes is the essence of Haiyan Hall and is famous all over the world.
Agile and agile
The rabbit is smart and alert, good at running and jumping, and is a symbol of agility, and has been the object of worship and belief of ancestors since ancient times. According to the "Li Ji Qu Li Xia", the rabbit represents "clear vision" and is one of the important sacrifices of the temple. Rabbits were introduced to China only in the Ming Dynasty, and before the Ming Dynasty, the rabbits mentioned in literature were all hares. The hare runs so fast that even the BMW Shenjun is named "flying rabbit" and "red rabbit".
The Western Zhou Double Rabbit Scales are in the collection of the Shanghai Museum
The scale is usually a cylindrical wooden stick whose main function is to tie a yoke to a horse. The body of this object is hollow cylinder-shaped, which is used to insert a wooden balance to stabilize and decorate. The double rabbit stands on a cylinder, running in the opposite direction, with its head bent limbs, round eyes and long ears, hips connected, and the sides of the abdomen decorated with moire. This double rabbit car scale decoration is well-cast, and the image of the double rabbit is realistic and lively, which is a fine product among the bronze carriage and horse ware of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
Western Han Hu Fu Wen Wine Bottle Shanxi Museum Collection
This bottle is a bronze tire, gilt throughout, magnificent. The lid is slightly convex, with a lifting ring in the center and 3 phoenix-shaped buttons around it. The body is cylindrical, with paved rings on both sides, and three vertical carved bear feet at the bottom. The cover and belly are decorated with more than 10 kinds of relief animal motifs such as tigers, sheep, lions, rabbits, cows, monkeys, foxes, etc., which are different in mood and lifelike. Among them, the rabbit jumps on all fours and runs forward, which is quite dynamic. This bottle has a solid and elegant shape, the style of the Central Plains wine ware, the decoration is lively and unrestrained, with the characteristics of grassland culture, reflecting the fusion of Central Plains culture and grassland culture in ancient Shanxi.
Moon Palace symbol
In myths and legends, the jade rabbit often accompanies Chang'e, refining immortal elixirs under the osmanthus tree in the Moon Palace, which over time becomes a synonym for the moon and a symbol of longevity. The idiom "golden crow and jade rabbit" refers to time, in which the golden crow and jade rabbit symbolize the sun and moon respectively.
Collection of the National Museum of China of the Ming Dynasty
The device is shaped like a double rabbit pounding medicine. Two rabbits stand opposite each other, holding a pestle together, pounding the medicine in the mortar together. The carving is simple, the shape is cute, and the meaning is auspicious.
Collection of the Shanghai Museum of the Jade Rabbit of the Qing Dynasty
The texture is white jade, moist and smooth. Jade rabbit has a pointed mouth, round eyes, and vertical ears, dressed in a wide-sleeved robe, with a half-knee, a folding fan in his right hand, and a fist raised in his left hand. According to the Qing Dynasty's similar jade rabbit branch gods, the jade rabbit originally or held laurel leaves and other things related to the legend of "Wu Gang Gui". The whole ware integrates a variety of techniques such as round carving, yin carving, and bas-relief, and the carving is exquisite.
This product is one of a group of twelve statues of gods sitting on the head of a jade carved beast. The twelve gods are the guardian deities of the twelve earth branches, corresponding to the images of the twelve zodiac signs, of which the jade rabbit is the guardian deity of the morning from 5 to 7 o'clock in the morning.
Qing Dynasty imitation Song Yutu Dynasty Yuan Xiao Yan collection of the National Museum of China
This inkstone is a perfect circle, without an inkstone pool, carved with a jade rabbit dynasty yuan diagram, according to legend, the pattern was created in the Song Dynasty, indicating the jade rabbit's greeting to the moon at the beginning of the year. This inkstone style is round, elegant, small and attractive, and was loved by the nobles of the Qing Dynasty.
Xiangrui symbol
Rabbits are cute in appearance and docile in nature, and have been loved by Chinese people since ancient times. The ancients believed that the appearance of the red rabbit and the white rabbit heralded the king Shengde and Guotai Min'an, and were auspicious symbols. Among the various arts and crafts decoration, rabbits are also a common theme, and their ornaments often represent a bright future, prosperity and health and longevity, and place people's praise for a better life and a yearning for a happy life.
Tang Dynasty white-glazed rabbit collection of Shanghai Museum
The rabbit squats on an octagonal pedestal, its forelimbs protruding in front of its chest, its head held high, its ears behind its ears, and it is attached to the nape of its neck. White glaze is applied throughout, the bottom of the pedestal is exposed with white tires slightly yellowed, and the rabbit's eyes are browned. Gongyi Huangye kiln site has unearthed similar shape of plain tire residues, combined with the characteristics of tire glaze to judge that this vessel should be Gongyi kiln products.
In ancient China, the white rabbit was often seen as a sign of good luck, and local officials often offered it to the central government as a tribute. The ancients also associated the white rabbit with filial piety, such as the "Old Book of Tang" and the "History of Song" both recorded the story of the white rabbit, Lingzhi and other auspicious rui in the house of filial piety.
Yuan dynasty rabbit pattern bronze is in the collection of the National Museum of China
Sealing, also known as painting pledge, is a seal signature instead of a hand signature, which is popular in the Song Dynasty and flourishes in the Yuan. Yuan dynasty paintings are mostly cast in metal, often with patterns instead of words. This bronze motif is a rabbit looking back, with a rui grass in the mouth, which has the meaning of auspicious longevity.
Ming dynasty white jade double rabbit ear cup collection of the National Museum of China
Amphora cups are generally believed to have developed from ancient feathers, and the Ming Dynasty amphorae inherited the tradition and were richer in style. This white jade double rabbit ear cup has a precise grasp of the shape of the rabbit, vivid shape, echoing left and right, and exquisite craftsmanship. The cup body is full of carvings, and the four-clawed dragon pattern is engraved on the front and back, which is a rare work among similar artifacts. (Reporter Zou Yating)
People's Daily Overseas Edition (Version 07, January 31, 2023)