This olive-green celadon screen is carved on one side with a rabbit (or hare) encircled by a border of floral scrolls, while the reverse is carved with a ship on rolling seas. In addition to being the fourth sign in the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit or hare (兔, tu) was regarded as a symbol of immortality and longevity in Chinese culture, which made it a popular motif in Chinese works of art. In Ming and Qing China, screens were a standard piece of furniture found in households of means, and table screens were commonly used in the study to provide privacy, or to serve as a shield from wind and/or dust. The Longquan kilns which have produced ceramics from the third century CE through to the Qing dynasty, were renowned for their green wares with lustrous glazes, the finest of which were produced during the Song dynasty (960–1279).
