Rabbit, 2017 (Farm World by Schleich)

Hoppy Easter, everybody!

No animal better symbolizes Easter than the domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus) which was domesticated from the European rabbit (O. cuniculus) at least as early as 1 B.C. The origin of the rabbit in Easter mythology is not completely understood, but it is believed to have started with Germanic Lutherans as a Santa Claus-like figure who judged children as good or disobedient during Eastertide, and rewarded the good ones with colored eggs and candy. It has been suggested that the Easter Bunny may have originally been a bird, as it reporedly lays eggs itself! However, this could also have come from the teachings of early philosophers who thought hares and rabbits were hermaphroditic due to their high fecundity! The egg itself is a symbol of new life and rebirth and in early Christianity it became associated with crucifixion and resurrection. In early Mesopotamia, Easter eggs were painted red to symbolize the blood of Christ. Some researchers have suggested that the link between the rabbit (or even the European hare, Lepus europaeus) dates back farther to the German pagan goddess Ēostre (Ostara), who is celebrated with the coming of the spring. Some researchers state rabbits and hares were sacred to Ostara; however, others have indicated there is no evidence linking rabbits or hares directly to Ostara. Whenever the connection arose, there is no doubt that the rabbit today is the defacto mascot of Easter.

There is no shortage of domestic rabbit toys; they are usually released in conjunction with farm or pet series. The first representative of this animal I had was a Kaiyodo figure from one of the Chocoegg Pet Series. However, for such a common and familiar animal, I decided to replace it with a solid-piece toy from a non-Japanese manufacturer. I had a difficult time deciding, trying to balance realism with the ‘cuteness’ that so many of them are sculpted with. I also wanted a fairly ‘generic’ representation and not a specialty or exotic breed. My first attempt was with the 2006 Papo brown rabbit that I ordered on eBay. Even before I could remove it from the packaging, it went right into the donation bin; it had a horrible paint job. I then tried what would become the focus of today’s blogpost, the 2017 Schleich rabbit. I really like the look of its predecessor, the now retired 2011 ‘sitting’ rabbit, but it was hard to find in the US on eBay (at the time). The 2017 model shown today has already been released multiple times with various gimmicks, usually reflected as unnatural colors applied to the inside of its ears, including purple, green, blue, and orange. I assume these were holiday premiums for Easter, but not sure.

The figure stands 4.0 cm tall and 4.0 cm wide. Scale is difficult to calculate based on the posture, but the body length measures approximately 5.4 cm for a scale of 1:7.4 based on the wild type O. cuniculus.

There is a lot of fine detail on this toy, from the detail of the fur to the footpads. The face is sculpted with a cute expression that has become a trend with Schleich in recent years. However, for an animal as naturally cute as a domestic rabbit, it’s not only acceptable, it’s also expected.

The main color is tan, accented with white on the front of the face, underside, and along the back. They eyes are a glossy black and the inner part of the ears is pink.

There’s really not a whole lot to say about this figure. It’s a fine rendition of a very familiar and very commonly made species. If one wanted a rabbit in their collection, there are lots to choose from. If one desired a specific breed, there are examples of Angora (Papo), Rex (Kaiyodo), Checkered Giant (Bullyland, Papo, Schleich), Lop (several options), Netherlands Dwarf (Kaiyodo), Tan (Bullyland, Schleich), and I am sure several others I am not aware of. Anyway, hope you enjoyed another Holiday Special post here on the Animal Toy Blog! Until next time.