#westerndecorating

At long last, I present to you my most recent reverie of fur and flesh ~ Rabbits and hares with antlers have been part of Scandinavian and European folklore for over half a millennia with the first images of them appearing in illustrated manuscripts from the Middle Ages, particularly in Germany. These mythical creatures have proven to be as enduring as they are enchanting and went on to become part of American pop-culture as well. They hold a special place in my heart because they are the marriage of my central companion spirit (rabbits) and my love of make-believe beasts. Each part of the world has their own name for this hybrid but the symbolism of the 2 species it combines is universal. Rabbits and stags have mystical powers in many cultures, both symbolizing renewal, prosperity, luck, and are guides on spiritual journeys. I wanted to create a piece where the essence of one species flowed into the other. My design needed to be the embodiment of the gracefulness the two animals share. So I looked to medieval tapestries with their stylized representations of hares and stags – the stag with its head thrown back and the hare in mid-leap. To give it a regal feel I perched it atop an ornately scrolled metal base reminiscent of the decor of that era. To all the people who think Jackalopes are lowbrow, I beg to differ. May I introduce their Bavarian kin – The Rasselbock