Japanese Teacup Usagi - Rabbit

Elegant ceramic teacup decorated with cute bunnies surrounded by flowers.

Entirely made and painted by hand.

The rabbit, in Japan, is a symbol of generosity and courage.

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The rabbit is the protagonist of many mythological legends and Japanese folklore.

One of the most famous is that of the Lunar Rabbit. Legend has it that the rabbit

lives on the moon and it is possible to see his image in the depressions of the lunar

surface only during full moon nights. On these nights we succeed to see the rabbit

with a kitchen pestle. The story begins with a traveler tired and hungry, who at a

certain point in his journey reaches a forest where he meets a monkey, an otter,

a jackal and a rabbit.The first three animals they help him get food. Only the rabbit,

with no particular skills aside recover some grass, he is unable to bring anything to

the traveller. He so he decides to to offer himself as a meal, to prepare the fire and

throw himself into the flames. The traveler, who is actually the Hindu deity Sakna,

is so struck by the gesture of generosity of the rabbit, who decides to immortalize

his image on the surface lunar, so that everyone can admire it.

The rabbit is therefore the symbol of sacrifice and of generosity.