What is the motif of three hares?
The three hare motif is a design that consists of three hare, which have an ears connected, are seen in the profile - often in running or jump pose - and are arranged in a circle or triangle. It seems that each hare has two ears, but shares them with the neighboring hare on each side, so only three ears appear in the design, ears forming a triangle. This design is used in art and architecture for centuries in areas such as the Far East and Europe. It usually appears in sacred art and architecture, although its meaning and origin are not known. This motif was used by artists in Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Islamic cultures.
The origin of the motif
Although the ancient examples of the three hare motif, which is known to remain covered with a wide geographical range, most are found in Southeast England, especially in Devon, where they appear on more than two dozen roof bosses - stone or wooden reliefs and mdash ;; in local churches. In Devon, the design is commonly referred toLike rabbits "Tinners", perhaps because local tin miners accepted the painting as their trademark. The fact that tin miners regularly financed the repair and construction of the Church in the Middle Ages could be responsible for the abundance of design in medieval churches in this area. Some private homes in Devoni come from the 16th and 17th centuries also contain the design of three hare in their plaster ceilings.
other than England, the best -known examples of the three hare design are located in northern Germany and France. However, the oldest known example comes from China Dunhuang. These two facts have triggered two alternative theories about the origin of the motif; It can be an ancient German or English symbol that would explain a large number of these designs in these countries, or it could travel to Western Europe from East along the trade routes.
where the motif appears
In addition to the roof bosses, the motif of three hareIt appears in the windows of stained glass, floor tiles, paintings and carvings in European churches, as well as on the bell in the German abbey. In China, the earliest examples appear on the Buddhist ceilings of the temple cave ceilings originating in SUI and Tang Dynasties 581-907 NL. In the Middle East and Eastern Europe, there are medieval examples of three hare motif glass, ceramics and metal works. Some remarkable pieces are the Iranian coins of the 13th century and complicated Islamic reliquary coffin from southern Russia.
Possible meanings
The beauty and secrets of the design of three hare continues to inspire works of art until the 21st century. Although its exact meaning is a thing of an endition, hares and number three have an ancient mystical meaning. Hares have long been associated with lunar and female power. There was also an idea in ancient worlds to be hermaphroditic and capable birth of virgin, so the design could have once been associated with Jesus' birth of Christians.