Exhibition 'The Three Hares Project' in South Molton Museum
The Three Hares Project was formed in 2000 by Tom Greeves, archaeologist and historian, Chris Chapman, documentary photographer, and Sue Andrew, art history researcher. The project is a non-profit organisation whose aim is to record and research all known occurrences of the three hares motif. This ancient symbol consists of three hares or rabbits running in a circle and joined by their ears which form a triangle at the centre of the design. The symbol is a puzzle, as each creature appears to have two ears yet, between them, they share only three ears. The Project has revealed the motif to be an extraordinary and ancient archetype, stretching across diverse religions and cultures, many centuries and many thousands of miles. It is part of the shared medieval heritage of Europe and Asia (Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism) yet still inspires creative work among contemporary artists. A book by Tom Greeves, archaeologist and historian, Sue Andrew, art history researcher and Chris Chapman, photographer, has been edited and published by Dr Richard Westcott, of South Molton, who, with Chris Chapman, has put together a fascinating exhibition for the museum, which will be complemented by a talk to be given in South Molton on Friday May 5th.