Two Bizarre Bunnies Bring Easter Greetings

Wishing all of you the happiest of Spring-tide holidays! I hope your weekend is full of biting the ears off of chocolate rabbits, doing Spring dances among the standing stones, or whatever you fancy. I proffer two bizarre vintage bunnies for your viewing pleasure.

This is not a rabbit to be trifled with. c. 1900

And this is someone’s idea of a delightful gift: a rabbit’s head pin cushion. “An artistic arrangement of fine needles” has a sinister, Hellraiser ring to it.

An Odd Needle Cushion is made from a bit of white velvet, cut square and joined at two contiguous sides like a cornucopia. This is then stuffed tightly with bran and the top corner bent over and sewed down, shaping the cushion as much as possible like a rabbit’s head.

Small triangles of the velvet are gathered at the base and fastened on for ears.

Round-headed black pins are stuck in for eyes, and splashes of black ink represent the markings of a rabbit’s fur. The point of the cushion is gathered a little and a red stitch of sewing silk marks the mouth. An artistic arrangement of fine needles represents Mr. Bunny’s whiskers, and the whole may be securely fastened to a card or base of any kind.

The Puritan, Volumes 7-8, 1895