Samantha Emily Alland
The Hare 2015
This project explores the many symbolisms linked with the hare. Many cultures have their own story/myths surrounding the hare, but in each there are links with fertility, new life and more importantly, the Moon
Each ceramic figure explores a different symbolism or story; The Omen, The Witch, Story of the Moon, The Goddess, The Egg, The Jackalop.
All of the small figures centre around the largest piece; The Lunar Hare,
who is accompanied by 'The Mad Hare' and a standing 'Jackalope'
Ceramic, Cast Bronze, Acrylic
The Chinese story of the hare in the moon. Buddha was walking through the forest, each animal offered him food. The hare however offered himself. Buddha conjured a fire but before jumping, the hare said ‘I will offer myself, but cannot speak for the fleas on my back’. With that the hare removed each flea from his fur, then dove into the fire. To honour his sacrifice and thought for others, Buddha put his image onto the moon. Another version states the hare is the Buddha in a former (Cont..)
life giving his life for a stranger who turns out to be king of the gods.
During the rise of Christianity, paganism was seen as evil and sinful by some people. Due to this, positive symbolisms of the Pagans were twisted to become fearful, bad omens. The Hare became associated with madness and ill-omens. This figure displays the physical symptoms of Myxomatosis, also know as mad rabbit disease, and the Shope papilloma virus
During the witch hysteria, people believed that the hare was a familiar of witches and that witches could also transform into hares. There is a story which tell of a hunter and his hounds pursuing a hare. One of the dogs caught the hair on the hind leg, but it evaded the dogs grasp. Injured the hare dove into a nearby bush. The hunter and hounds tracked the hare and when they drew close, a women was sitting behind the shrub, bleeding from the leg from a dog bite. (continued on next image)
The golden marks on its body portray the idea of the 'Devils Mark' and the 'Witches Mark'. This was a notion used in witch trial in order to identify a witch. The Devils Mark is a dark mark left from the devil of a cloven hoof or lips. This was said to be let from when the witch made her deal with the devil. The Witches Mark were said to be nipples for the witch to feed her familiars with. The former turned out to be birthmarks with the latter being moles/skin tags.
This is the celtic story of the origin of the Easter Bunny; The Goddess Eostre came across a dying bird, in order to save its life she transformed it into a hare. The hare, now being an enchanted hare, continued to lay eggs, which Eostre would give to children.
The mythical horned hare; The Jackalope
(pre-gilding)
More images to come...