- Hi, I'm Jason Sun, Curator of Chinese Art.
Welcome to The Metropolitan Museum,
to celebrate the Lunar New Year with us.
This year is the Year of the Rabbit
which begins on January the 22nd.
We are very pleased to present an exciting exhibition
celebrating the Year of the Rabbit,
with a remarkable selection
from the Museum's permanent collection
and a fantastic loan.
In China, twelve animals have been associated
with the calendar
for more than 2000 years.
These animals are very popular motifs of art
and represented in various media.
In the Museum's collection,
there is an exquisite set of the animals,
carved out of a pale green jade,
and possibly made by the masters in the Imperial Workshop
of the 18th Century.
They illustrate the animals in a standard sequence,
which from left to right,
are the rat,
the ox
the tiger,
the rabbit,
the dragon,
the snake,
the horse,
the sheep,
the monkey,
the rooster,
the dog,
and the pig.
Each animal is dressed in a long robe
and seated like a person in a relaxed posture,
and each one of them holds an accessory in their hand;
such as a long stick, a fan, a pearl, or a flower basket.
In the lunar calendar,
each animal is paired with a given year
that repeats in a twelve year cycle,
and each animal is believed to embody certain traits
that are shown in the personality of a person
born in that year.
For example, the rabbit is characterized
as intelligent, kind, peaceful, and compassionate.
This bronze linchpin is among the earliest depictions
of the animal,
dating from the 11th Century, BCE.
As you see from the illustration on the right,
the linchpin is used to lock a wheel
to the axle of a chariot.
The rabbit is known for its swift movement
so its image is not only a decoration,
but also a symbol of fast speed.
The rabbit is a popular figure in Chinese folk tales.
It is believed that the rabbit lives in the moon,
who helps the moon goddess Chang'e
to prepare the elixir of immortality
by crushing the ingredients with a pestle and mortar,
as shown on this colorful embroidered mirror case
from the 19th Century.
During the 14th and the 15th Centuries,
high-fired porcelain wares
decorated with intense blue color,
commonly known as blue and white porcelain,
reached an unprecedented height
of technical excellence.
They were produced in a large quantity
and sold to many parts of the world.
Rabbits were a favored theme of decoration,
combined with scrolling vines and flowers
that reflect the influence from Islamic art.
A most endearing work in the exhibition
is this white porcelain rabbit from the Tang Dynasty,
about the 8th to 9th century.
It's an extremely animated figure
with a chubby face and large staring eyes.
It's meant to keep people from harm,
and bring health, happiness, and prosperity.
That's exactly what we wish you for the new year.
Thank you.