THE EASTER bunny AND HIS EGGS. 22 FEbRUARy TO 8 APRIL ExHIbITION. DAILy FROM 9.00AM 5.00PM. HOFbURG INNSbRUcK

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1 22 FEbRUARy TO 8 APRIL 2018 THE EASTER bunny AND HIS EGGS ExHIbITION HOFbURG INNSbRUcK DAILy FROM 9.00AM 5.00PM #OSTERFRÜHLING

2 About the exhibition Every child knows the Easter Bunny who brings them brightly coloured eggs! Why he should do this, however, is a matter of debate. Is it all just innocent fun? Or are there darker forces at work? The fantastic world of myths, traditions and weird and wonderful images is the natural habitat of the Easter Bunny but not only him! As the exhibition at the Innsbruck Hofburg shows, the rabbit has a number of strange bedfellows. Information: Admission 5,50 euros Children up to 14 years free of charge Group prices for groups of 11 persons or more Reductions for combi tickets, Innsbruck Card and young people Organizer: IAI GmbH Tel: info@ostermarkt.at Rabbits round the world He does not just lay eggs, but also grows horns or even whole sets of antlers on his head (jackalope); he is a bloodthirsty hunter of men (Topsy-Turvy World) or plays his devious tricks in the animal and human realms (USA). But he also lolls poetically in the pale full moon of spring (China) or dangles as an ivory pendant from the belt of the tradition-conscious (Japan).

3 Because the rabbit is such a potent symbol, however, he not only adorns the cover of a well-known men s magazine as a logo, but is also a popular model for everyday objects and ornaments: from knife rests and soup tureens to cuddly toys and delightful tin figures. Nor should we underestimate his role as a fairy-tale character or the hero of many children s books, with iconic appearances as Bugs Bunny, Roger Rabbit and finally as the joyful Easter Bunny, his religious origins in the church calendar now almost completely forgotten today he is a top salesman, bringing his artful, amazing and even audacious eggs to children and adults alike. boundless rabbit fantasy This year s exhibition, part of the Innsbruck Easter Spring, takes a wry look at a very particular form of animal kingdom one where it is the imagination rather than biology that rules. So come on in and let the bunny show begin!

4 The coat of the Easter bunny and of other rabbits The Easter Bunny only truly came into his own in the 19th century. Before that time he had to beat off competition from other creatures, such as the cuckoo, the stork or even the fox. In the beginning they were all simply legendary figures in the oral tradition. As Easter grew in importance as a family celebration, however, the rabbit began to adopt a coat of paper and bright colours, becoming a figure in picture books and cut-outs, followed later by the first Easter greetings cards. The confectionery industry responded to this trend, creating rabbits out of sponge cake, sugar and especially chocolate. Now there was no stopping the Easter Bunny and his more conventional fellows from the world of toys and crafts: wood and cardboard, felt and plush, metal, plastic, fabric and rubber... A battle of materials with no holds barred! Precious bunny specimens The amazing exhibition gathers objects from some 50 countries, showing just how wide is the range of shapes and materials in the international rabbit world. There are particularly precious specimens of amber and ivory, with others of porcelain, jade and silver. One of the highlights is a Chinese rabbit whose coat consists of over 5,000 freshwater pearls, accompanied by a similarly decorated egg!

5 The quaint collection The exhibits are from the well-known Breitkreutz family, collectors hailing from the Thuringian city of Gotha. Their passion began over 40 years ago with the collecting of Easter and jewelled eggs from all over the world. Since then their numerous trips around the globe have resulted in a haul of over 10,000 artistic objects, made from all sorts of materials and produced in the most magnificent colours and shapes. Almost inevitably this was joined by a second passion: for rabbits, the suppliers of Easter eggs par excellence! But this passion was by no means limited to their local Easter Bunnies their enthusiasm for all things rabbit is truly global. Soon the world of eggs was joined by a world of rabbits, just as peculiar as the first and, in terms of numbers, probably without equal in Europe. come and let yourself be surprised! This year s Easter exhibition will be showing over 1,600 objects from the Breitkreutz collection and will also demonstrate the perfect harmony between the two realms as if it were the most natural thing in the world for rabbit and egg to go together.