Lot 149B
East Asia, Japan, Meiji Period, ca. late 19th century CE. The kind of object you notice across a room (indeed, that is how we found it!) - a wooden carved sculpture of a standing rabbit (or hare), lacquered in black, red, and gold. The rabbit stands on a crescent moon-shaped base, and is portrayed as if striding forward in a very human-like stance, one arm thrown up, the other swinging behind its back. The face is inscrutable, with almond-shaped red glass eyes and tall ears. The rabbit is carved as if dressed in a black, open vest and an apron-like dress with a red skirt. Red and gold cloud-like shapes with crosshatching decorate the vest, while a gold motif that looks like a sunburst or rising sun decorates the front of the skirt. At the center of the rabbit's chest is a large, high relief, stylized heart with a deep incision between its two halves. This is painted the same bright red as the skirt. The clothing style, the cocked head, and the human stance all give an impression that the rabbit is modeled after a small child. Size: 5" L x 14.4" W x 23.7" H (12.7 cm x 36.6 cm x 60.2 cm)
Rabbits have a special place in Japanese folklore. As in China and in ancient Mesoamerica, they are thought of as an inhabitant of the moon - what westerners sometimes call "the man in the moon" is in Japan a rabbit using a mortar to pulverize mochi rice cakes. They also feature in the tale of the Hare of Inaba, an 8th century legend which, in one version, features a white hare leading the goddess Amaterasu and her entourage to the top of a mountain where she could create a palace to stay the night. The hare also is revered at a Shinto Shrine in Tottori, in the southern region of Chugoku. This charming figure captures the importance and knowledge of these mythological rabbits/hares. It also, with its fine clothing and heart motif, looks at a glance like the rabbit from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (although that book was not published in Japanese until the 1920s)!
Provenance: private Rochester, Michigan, USA collection
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#126654
- Condition: Small areas of craquelure on the glaze, especially at joints. Feet have been reattached to stand. One arm has been reattached, as has one leg; repairs are very well done and almost impossible to see, especially on the limbs. Losses and wear to surface commensurate with age.
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