Cover via Amazon
The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance, is a book about ‘the history of objects’ or in this case a collection of objects, an inherited collection of Japanese netsuke.
Objects take on a life of their own when they leave the creators hands. They are no longer the responsibility of the artist (craftsman) – they move through history, out surviving their custodians, moving on through history and catastrophe.
Tiny and tactile the netsuke are “small, tough explosions of exactitude.” Their story spans cultures and continents. They are the possessions of the Ephrussis, wealthy Jewish grain traders who spread from Russia to the important, wealthy capitals of Europe whose empire is finally destroyed by the Nazis.
These objects tell a fascinating story about the way the world has been molded by the need for commodities and trade, greed, war and jealousy.