A Warm Welcome to Our New Boxing Hares...
Whilst GFC were at the Chelsea Flower Show, there is no doubt that there were many other sculptures and stands which caught our eye. However, it was the striking boxing Hares crafted by ‘Steel Sculptures’ that really won us over! Its powerful stature and incredible detail made it hard to resist; so, now we are going to include it in our wide range of products! In order to welcome our newest additions to the GFC family, here is a little introduction and background for the inspiration behind the magnificent boxing Hares!
Background...
It is argued that the brown Hare was introduced by the Romans to Britain, or even earlier between the 5th to the 3rd centuries BC. However, it is interesting to note that the Hare could have been treated with more care than other animals, as studies have found their bodies were buried without being slaughtered. This demonstrates how valued the Hare was within society, as they were regarded to be too special to consume. Fundamentally, brown hares are notoriously known to have an enthusiastic nature, and as such they channel this energy through fighting, or boxing as we might recognise, with each other. This is predominantly done within the mating March month which sees them leap around the air and box with each other. This ultimately coins the nickname ‘Mad March Hares’ due to this erratic behaviour. The Hare is an exceptional animal, with their strong exterior and passion to survive any threat that may challenge them. Unfortunately, the sightings of hares have decreased over the years and are now rarely seen in open spaces.
Inspiration...
In an artistic light, hares are popularly used to portray different emotions. Due to their prominent stature, they provide an amazing scale for artists and sculptors to illustrate their artistic vision. The image of boxing hares has been used in a variety of paintings and sculptures for centuries due to their cultural history in literature, art, music, religion and fairy tales as well as media and advertising. The Hare itself has a variety of representations within myths and folklore which inspires many artworks and creative media. For instance, the Hare is widely considered to be sensitive and ambitious, with the added implications of being fit and full of virtue. On the other hand, the Hare does possess an element of greed and selfishness, and in some cases even deception and dishonesty. But, by having this mixture of qualities, it is what makes the Hare a favourited animal for artists, writers and creative designers to use within their work.
With our new boxing Hares’ sculpture, ingeniously crafted by Paul Richardson, they are an amazing example of how the brown Hare is used in an artistically humours point of view. These hares are fitted with comical boxing gloves and expressions, with their dominating physique dressed in boxing shorts and shoes. As well as this, the hares are encased within a large boxing ring, highlighting the similarity to a real-life boxing match scenario. Additionally, the whole presentation of the sculpture is a gesture towards our outrageous human nature of quarrelling with world leaders and the political division this causes. Paul’s ingenuity to demonstrate this political conflict is portrayed through the boxing belts on the hares, with the word ‘hare’ written in English to represent the U.S.A on one, and the other written in Russian. The subtlety of this detail is what makes the sculpture so unique and appealing for us to showcase within our showroom!
Famous Faces...
As you may well know, the Chelsea Flower Show is a place where many celebrities and famous faces gather to view all the sculptures and gardens on display. And it seems that at the show, Paul’s boxing hares certainly received a lot of star-studded attention! Dave Meyers from the Hairy Bikers made a great impression of the boxing hares with a great fighting face which would be hard to beat! There were also visits from broadcaster Ben Fogle, athlete Linford Christie and young-up-coming boxer Jordan Thompson!
So, why not come down to our showroom where you can see the boxing hares for yourself! Be sure to tag us in our socials and remember to give us your best boxing face!
