the bunny and the egg

A COUPLE OF EASTER Sundays in my childhood, my parents surprised me with an actual real-life Peter Cottontail instead of a chocolate bunny. We kept the bunny in a specially-constructed pen in our back yard. Even though I quickly figured out my bunny was never going to lay an egg, I always hoped it would happen. Magical things are happening all around in spring, so why not a bit of magical thinking? Much to my disappointment, the only thing that ever popped out of the bunnies were those little brown pellets that looked like cat kibble—not quite a wish come true. 

EVEN IF my fluffy bunny was never going to lay eggs, Easter was always a highly anticipated welcome to springtime. I love watching the grass get green again with the daffodils appearing in the un-mown freshness. With everything coming to life after a winter slumber, the pollen from the flowers and trees tint the air like a childhood Technicolor® dream.

BUNNIES AND EGGS | (Both photos above) These roundly-formed glazed porcelain bunny ornaments from Pier 1 Imports were re-tied with a pale-striped yellow ribbon to match the yellow and white of the dogwood flower. Brown eggs were simply wrapped with Flake Cotton yarn (made in Brazil) from Ironstone and placed in an egg-shaped deviled egg platter.

THE DOGWOOD flower became another symbol for spring, as explained in Sunday school at the local Baptist church where we attended—as a manifestation of the crucifixion of Jesus. I studied those flowers with their stigmata petals scared at each end and forming a cross radiating from a golden “crown of thorns” in the middle and it seemed like a plausible explanation that the cross Jesus was crucified on was made of a Dogwood tree and this is how they appeared thereafter. But there was never an explanation for why my bunny wasn't laying eggs! The reasons for both might be from man-made sources that are less than reliable than an explanation taken directly from Mother Nature's lessons. In myth and religion, things have been cross-pollinated so much that the result is a hybrid of ideas that have something for everyone to latch onto. The short answer is bunnies and eggs are closely associated because they are both symbols of fertility, new life and rebirth/renewal.

EGGS AND FLOWERS | Nestled amongst sunny daffodil flowers and leaves, these lettered eggs from Pottery Barn spell out a Happy Easter greeting.

NATURAL LIFE CYCLES in the spring are the focus of any spring celebration. What has become today's Easter Bunny is actually a surviving remnant of Pagan traditions celebrated in pre-Christian days, and still practiced today by surviving Pagans and Christians alike, but with different source meanings. In the Pagan view, Bunnies, rabbits and hares are fertility symbols, sacred to the Goddess of the Dawn, once known as Ostarra or Eostara, which is the origin of the word Easter. Due to the the well-known procreational ability of rabbits, they are a perfect symbol for fertility. Another more direct symbol for fertility is the egg for obvious reasons. Spring Equinox celebrations—both past and present—focus on Spring growth. All the newly reborn flora and fauna, including the ever-producing rabbit, are a sure sign the Spring season has begun and nature continues its yearly cycle.

WHEN CHRISTIANITY first began to spread, there was an artful overlapping of Christian values and ideas with much loved Pagan customs, which attracted people to the church and pulled them away from their ways of honoring and living within nature. The Easter Bunny and egg hunts of the Old World were carried over to modern day celebrations. In the beginning, they had nothing to do with the Christian faith or belief in Jesus' resurrection. Because the Christian church celebrates the Resurrection of Christ in the spring, it made perfect sense to "borrow" from Pagan Spring rites in order to make the attraction to the newer religion plausible.

EGGS AND A CHICK | This tough chick with a cracked shell around its feet is laying claim to her future eggs. German paper mache candy containers borrow the perfect shape of an egg as an elegant container in which to give Easter treats. These modern versions are made by the German company Nestler.

THE POPULARIZED candy form of the Easter Bunny probably emerged around the 1800’s when manufacturers in Germany created bunnies from bread and candy. German children were taught about Osterhase, an Easter bunny that hid eggs and chocolates carried in a woven basket backpack for children to find on Easter Sunday. Easter eggs became a commonplace way to exchange gifts in Springtime. Easter treats were concealed in paper mache candy containers. Those made in an original mold, by some of the same German family workshops that began their businesses more than 100 years ago have become highly collectible. Modern versions such as the ones in the photo above are an elegant way to present Easter gifts and treats.

NO NONSENSE EGGS | Unadorned, but decorative natural wooden eggs are nestled within a blooming Japanese magnolia branch and a ceramic egg crate.

THE TRADITION of the egg tree (see The Decorated Tree version here) was also popularized in Germany. The eggs used in cooking Easter meals in Germany (and elsewhere) are not broken, but are emptied by blowing the contents out into a container, through pinholes at either end of the egg. The hollowed eggshells are then decorated and dyed and hung from trees during spring.

NO MATTER how or why you celebrate springtime, there is no doubt that this is a season of rebirth. Flowering trees and flowers rise from dormancy and show their prettiest spring colors, much like church-goers do in their Easter Sunday best. Nature and faith are in a constant cycle of renewal and both are reaffirmed simultaneously in a sweet melding of ideas and beliefs. It's definitely a time to take a deep breath of life.

©2012 DARRYL MOLAND | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

collecting, photography and styling by Darryl Moland

a wish for Japan

EARTHQUAKE, tsunami, meltdown. The three words describing the current series of chain-reaction disasters in Japan can be expanded into describing what is happening worldwide in a broader sense. The Earth is quaking under our not-so-careful stewardship. There are waves of unrest all around the world rising in revolution. Economic upheaval is threatening a way of life we thought could continue unchecked. We are being shaken to the core. The end result of all of this is a disastrous threat of meltdown that will affect lives around the world. The relentless reality of it all is blared in the news every day. How many warning signs will it take? 

ONE HAS TO WONDER what is going on? It seems that we're having to reach for that last hope all-t00-quickly, which comes in good wishes, positive action and movement toward stabilizing our environment. Japan has always been a defiant nation of people—never to be pitied. Many countries of the world are in upheaval, whether it is because of natural disasters or man-made ones—or a combination of both. All I know that positive words and action can change a lot of things for the better. And you don't need an army to do it. The power of one can be multiplied exponentially and be heard around the world. We are all connected in a more profound way than any time in history.

IN OUR WORLD of control and containment of Mother Nature, we have lost sight of her power and the reminders are getting more and more dramatic. What does it take to awaken ourselves to the bleak future we might be creating? A plea written in my post about the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster bears repeating:

FOR  THOSE  OF  US  who consider our relationship with the natural world as something sacred, we have reached a point of no return—a point where we consider just how sacred it is to us. We are all complicit in the civilization we have created, whether it is having out-of-season produce shipped to us from continents far away or driving our cars to work. Our planet is in distress because of our actions—human actions—and the other inhabitants of this Earth, who we call "wildlife," are left unwittingly to the destruction and havoc we have wrought. At what point do the economics of a situation not matter? At what point do we shift into a collaboration with Mother Earth, instead of a war with her? We, as humans do not hold dominion over the natural world, except in its destruction.

THIS TREE is an impassioned and hopeful wish for the speedy recovery of Japan specifically, but for the whole of humanity broadly. It is all about the unity and positive drive we can have to become better versions of ourselves. We are either in-control or out-of-control when it comes to our actions. It is a simple black-and-white choice. ALL of our futures depend on it. No matter what country we call home, we are all the indisputable children of the natural world. And our Mother is crying loudly. Some of the trees I decorate have become miniature altars of sorts—like this one. This is my small way of sending out positive energy from my little corner of the blogosphere.

FULL CIRCLE | (Top) Circles of multi-colored folded cranes were made by my creative friend Jon Chavez who wanted to give me something back from a gift I gave to him that included the singular folded cranes within the gift box (bought from member Origamiyyc on Ebay directly from Japan months before this disaster). The legend goes in Japan that folding a thousand cranes makes a wish come true. It's ironic that these cranes have traveled from around the world, came back to me in a different form and are now coming to you via this post—pretty powerful stuff I would say. The dogwood branch I used is young in bloom. The legend adopted by the Christian religion says that a flowering dogwood tree was used to make the cross of the crucifixion. Whether this is a blessing or a curse depends on your beliefs. The singular crane at the base of the tree can also be seen in this post and was folded by Atlanta artisan Sachiko Kogure. The egg holder is from the Heartwood Creek collection by Jim Shore for Enesco. The egg is from this season's Easter product line at Target and is covered in origami-like paper (washi) in the style of a traditional Japanese egg decorating technique called kirigami, which uses cut paper. Eggs in the Japanese tradition represent creation, new beginnings, life and friendship.

FOLDED WISHES | (Second from top) In the case of this tree, I am using the dogwood branch to symbolize resurrection and regeneration for Japan. The multi-colored cranes represent the people of all nations coming together to assist in this effort.

LOTUS LORE | (Third from top) The lotus flower at the base of the tree is a very good faux stand-in from Michaels. The lotus flower has rich symbolism in Japan and is one of the most poignant representations of Buddhist teachings: The roots of a lotus grow in the mud, the stem rises up through the water, and the flower lies atop above the water's surface, reaching the sunlight. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment.

MUSHROOM LIFE | (Above, bottom) These mushrooms from Pier 1 Imports are reminders of the tenacious and magical quality mushrooms have—existing as symbols of life that pop up in a substrate of decay, adding a smiling element of surprise along with the fresh grass blades "growing" next to them. The antiqued wooden Chinese container from Homegoods stands on "stilts" above the surface of the round wooden table from Marshalls, which also represents the red circle of the Japanese flag.

PASSIONATE POSTERS | (Below) This series of inspired posters were designed by talented Japanese Canadian designer Linda Yuki Nakanishi (Left). They were created as her wish to give something back to her beloved country after realizing the gravity of the news from Japan. The descriptions below are in the artist's own words. All profits from her sale of these posters will go to the Canadian Red Cross efforts for the victims affected by the recent earthquakes and tsunamis. You can purchase one or all of them here.

MELTDOWN | This poster (Left) pays homage to the Fukushima 50 that volunteered their lives to stay behind to control the nuclear reactor. Each hexagonal shape in the Japanese pattern represents one of the Fukushima men. The crane flying up out of the nuclear meltdown represents honour, loyalty and longevity. Honour and loyalty, which was evident by the courage of the volunteers, and longevity as a wish for their safe return and health.

TSUNAMI | This is the second poster (Left) in my Japan Earthquake series. In this design I wanted to pay homage to Mother Nature. As destructive and powerful as the tsunami was, it was still an act of nature that was non-discriminating. If anything, the sheer impact of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami should be a reminder to everyone that unexpected things happen every day. Be prepared for what comes and more importantly maintaining grace under fire, like the Japanese people, when it does.

EARTHQUAKE | This poster (Left) represents the resilience of the Japanese people. The lotus symbolizes birth and rebirth, and the red lotus in particular represents love, compassion and passion (much of which is needed for the people of Japan).

The lotus is a flower that is born from the mud of the earth, fights its way through the depths of the water to bloom into the air and sunlight. This is how I view Japan, as a country that teaches their people to be strong and to endure. This is also what my parents taught me, even though we live an ocean away in Canada.

©2011 DARRYL MOLAND | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Collecting and styling by Darryl Moland, 
Poster art (and accompanying text) courtesy of Linda Yuki Nakanishi.