The painted clay sculpture “Lord Rabbit” is a mascot of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing. It is very influential and known to every household in Beijing. It was found that Lord Rabbit appeared no later than the Yuan Dynasty. Due to the special custom, it is unlikely to keep Lord Rabbit of last year. The oldest extant painted clay sculpture of Lord Rabbit is preserved in the Palace Museum, named “Fu Gui Hua Kai (a flower that symbolizes wealth)”.
At the Mid-Autumn Festival, every family enjoys the glorious full moon, a symbol of the family reunion. Amid ample harvest, it is a festival with the grand celebration as famous as that of the Spring Festival, decorated with Lord Rabbits. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, stalls selling Lord Rabbits appear on the street. Lord Rabbits of various sizes form a small hill. It is really colorful to put Lord Rabbits together with fruits such as pink-and-white peaches, light yellow pears, vermilion grapes, dark green persimmons and watermelons cut into the shape of lotus petals. Just as an old saying of Beijing goes: what a lively scene! As the joyous Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Lord Rabbit hills are in every corner of the city.
The painted clay sculpture of Lord Rabbit has a long history. In ancient China, the backward medical conditions made the people believe in Lord Rabbit.
Lord Rabbit’s artisanal techniques and expression are exaggerated and pithy. The artifact is particular about symmetry and balance. In particular, it is delicately decorated with color decoration, so great attainments of color decoration are required. There has always been a saying about making Lord Rabbit, “Only 30% of its beauty is determined by sculpture, while 70% is determined by color decoration”. With striking contrast of colors, it is simple, unsophisticated and bright. It is totally handmade. The conventional techniques include rubbing, kneading, lifting, molding, imprinting, patting, cutting, coloring, attaching and inserting. Lord Rabbit is made of clay. The processes include drying, cooling, tamping, kneading and drenching. And it used colors of traditional Chinese painting, poster paint and mineral colors.
Lord Rabbit is a unique and important symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing. As an indispensable part of the festival, it is also a custom of the festival lasting for hundreds of years
Some knowledge about the Lord Rabbit:
1. Lord Rabbit’s gender: The ancient ethics specify that it is improper for men and women to touch each other’s hand in passing objects, so Chang’e (the goddess of the moon) shouldn’t hold a male rabbit in her arms. In the past, men didn’t worship Lord Rabbit. In view of the above points, Lord Rabbit is female.
2. Now that Lord Rabbit is female, why people call it Lord Rabbit rather than Lady Rabbit? Traditionally and universally, respected females were honored with male titles. And Lord Rabbit is unmarried and has no children. In old Beijing, nephews called their unmarried elderly aunts as dads. Therefore, the influential mascot is officially called Lord Rabbit.
3. How many flags are behind Lord Rabbit’s back? Lord Rabbit has only one flag behind its back. There is a two-part allegorical saying in old Beijing: Lord Rabbit’s flag—one on one.
4. The source of the flag: According to the legend, Lord Rabbit was found under a flagpole outside a temple gate. When craftsmen create Lord Rabbit, they put a flag behind it so that the later generations know its origin story.
5. Lord Rabbit’s mount
Generally, Lord Rabbit rides an auspicious beast in folk traditions. But Lord Rabbit is not allowed to sit on a Chinese dragon because of the old etiquette. The legendary auspicious creatures include lions, elephants, kylins (Chinese unicorns Qilin), tigers and deer. And auspicious plants include gourds, peaches, lotus flowers and peonies.
The legend of Lord Rabbit’s mount
Mount No.1: the kylin. The kylin represents stable wealth, makes careers prosperous and exorcizes evil spirits. It brings good luck to a family and alleviates disasters. Kylin is a symbol of auspiciousness.
Mount No. 2: the lion. The Lion implies everything comes off satisfactorily.
Mount No. 3: the peach. The Peach implies longevity.
Mount No. 4: the gourd. The gourd implies fortune and prosperity.
Mount No. 5: the elephant. The elephant implies a new and dynamic atmosphere.
Mount No. 6: the deer. The deer implies lots of salaries.
Mount No. 7: the lotus. The lotus flower implies purity, elegance, peace and detachment. Real peace is not in the body, but in the mind.
Mount No. 8: the hill. The Lord Rabbit sitting on a hill is the most typical form of all, and all the Lord Rabbits are evolved from it. It is the supreme Lord Rabbit.
Mount No. 9: the tiger. The tiger implies a mythical creature that eliminates evil spirits and wards off disaster.
Mount No. 10: peony. The peony implies fortunes and honor.
Visit Site: Beijing Shuang Qixiang Painted Clay Sculpture Studio
Tel.: 18612520169
Transportation: Take Line 13 to any exits, Longzeyuan Station. Taking No.58 Chang bus across the road to Hengqiao Village East Station. Going west for 300m, and looking north to find Beijing Ping’an Shengda Automobile Maintenance Co., Ltd. The visit site is near that company.
Address: No.133, Baige Road, Changping District, Beijing
