Jade Rabbit

Jade Rabbit infuses traditional design elements and motifs with a contemporary flair. We are committed towards producing designs that have a story and spirit to them. We search the globe for inspiration and to discover the finest materials for our products. Our collections highlight individualistic qualities that are often lost in mass-produced designs. Many of the items we offer are truly one of a kind because of their unique characteristics.

Good fortune and luck are central to Asian life and culture. Many try to increase their chances for a happy and prosperous existence by surrounding themselves with lucky objects, images and stories. The rabbit is one of many felicitous symbols in Asian mythology.

Where in Western thought a "man in the moon" is seen and imagined, in the East it is believed that a rabbit dwells in the moon. Many Chinese children imagine when they gaze up at the moon that they can see the beautiful Moon Goddess, Chang-E, along with her companion, the Jade Rabbit. People have historically paid their respects to Chang-E and her rabbit during the Harvest Moon Festival, which is when the moon is said to be at its roundest and fullest for the entire year. According to an old Chinese myth, on the fifteenth of every month, Chang-E and her husband, Hou Yi, are reunited. The two characters, who represent the moon and the sun, have come to embody the yin and yang, dark and light, feminine and masculine, and the duality which governs the universe.

The Moon Festival takes place in the autumn, on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. This is traditionally the time of year when crops have been harvested and family and friends gather to relax, enjoy the fruits of their labor, and celebrate the abundance of their harvest. Today, many still return home to reunite with their family to celebrate the Harvest Moon, eat moon cakes and admire the full moon.

For the complete tale of the story of Chang-E and the Jade Rabbit, read "Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes" by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz and the Children's Museum, Boston.

Origami, or the art of paper folding, originated over 1,000 years ago and has roots in China, where paper was first invented around 105 AD. Papermaking was then introduced to Japan where it migrated from Korea. Japanese nobility originally used origami in traditional ceremonies. Paper was so precious that it was considered divine, and was used as tokens of good fortune. Chiyogami, the type of paper used in many of our cards, uses a woodblock printing technique that is closely linked to classic Japanese textile arts and is reminiscent of the resplendent sheen of the kimono.