A large rabbit fills the entire surface of this print, indicating that it was created in the Year of the Rabbit. The curious, sack-like quality of the rabbit’s body is also a reference to the large white bag of Hotei, one of the gods of good fortune, who often appears in New Year visual art. The rabbit’s body is also rounded out to suggest a lopsided moon (the home of the rice-pounding rabbit), which is emphasized by its silvery outline. Finally, there is an allusion to the most common New Year symbol, the rising sun. Although the rising sun is usually represented as a luminous, round body against an orange sky, Yabu Chosui showed it as a rising lopsided rabbit against a flaming pink background.
Guess what? According to the Lunar Calendar, this year is the Year of the Rabbit. In Eastern culture, the rabbit is known to be the luckiest of all the twelve animals. It symbolizes mercy, elegance, and beauty. According to the zodiac, 2023 should be a very peaceful year, welcomed with open arms by all after the bold Year of the Tiger. So, we can retreat to a quiet and peaceful place in order to heal our wounds and wind down after all we had to endure the previous year.
P.S. To celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, enjoy these peaceful depictions of rabbits (and more) in art. <3
P.P.S. By way of calendars, don't miss our -40% discount on artsy DailyArt calendars, which includes our Japanese Art Daily Planner!