BELGIAN HARE, LEBRE BELGA

BELGIAN HARE
SOLID PAPIER MACHE USING
RECYCLED CARDBOARD PAPER
PEROBAWOOD BASE.
H 45 CM

                                  ORIGINS OF THE BELGIAN HARE

The Belgian Hare can be traced back to the  leporine  developed in the early part of the 18th century in the Flanders area of eastern Europe by the selective breeding of domestic and wild European rabbits. 

Leporines were imported from Belgium and Germany to England in the 1870s by  Mr. W. Lumb and his brother-in-law Mr. B. Greaves, importers of small stock from continental Europe. Wilkins (1896) wrote that after their introdiction into England ..." bred continuosly, ostensibly to develop a rabbit of the form, color and fur of the wild hare.
Named 'Belgian Hare' rabbit."  It was explained that the redder colored Leporines resembled the common wild hare of England (lepus Timidus), and a number of adventuresome rabbit aficionados and natural scientists undertook the task of employing selective breeding to make the Leporine look more like lepus Timidus.
These early breeders included  Mr. Lumb, Dr, Barham, and Dr.J Salter a Physian,  Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of the Zoological Socity. Fellow of the Linnaean Societ, an friend of Charles Darwin. 
Their rabbits were called the "Belgian Hare"-- "Belgian" (to recognize their origin) and "Hare" (to recognize their resemblance to Lepus Timidus which was a true hare).
Text taken from the: BELGIANHARECLUB

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE RAW ORIGINAL COLOR OF THE CARDBOARD
PAPER,THOUGH I AM TEMPTED TO COLOR THIS BEAUTIFUL
HARE, IN A FUTURE POST!!