It's a bunny old world

Gao says a Ming jade cup on show, with two rabbit-shaped handles, epitomizes the jade carving techniques of the time. "The rabbit handles, again, favor a symmetrical design, and upon closer examination, the details on the cup feature delicate patterns of clouds and lingzhi (a fungus native to East Asia) that accentuate a sense of vigor."

She adds that the cup is an example of the Ming Dynasty's "hollow engraving" art that originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The craft demanded that artisans pierced deep into the jade to carve intricate landscapes, figures, animals and other patterns.