It's a bunny old world

A jade pendant from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) shows two standing jade rabbits jointly holding a pestle while in the middle of grinding ingredients of the elixir. This piece of fine craftsmanship reflects the rabbit as a recurring motif of Ming jade art and the preference for a symmetry in Chinese aesthetics, according to Gao Xiuqing, a researcher at the National Museum of China and the exhibition's curator.

Also on show is another jade pendant, also from the Ming Dynasty, which depicts a rabbit turning its head to sniff and bite a flower, with its long ears pricked upward and one foot lifted to add a sense of vitality to the work.