The Three Hares Project The Three Hares Project was formed in 2000 by Sue Andrew, art history researcher, Chris Chapman, documentary photographer, and Tom Greeves, archaeologist and historian. It is a non-profit organisation whose aim is to record and research all known occurrences of the three hares motif. Individual research began in the late 1980s when Tom Greeves explored the distribution of the symbol, with results published in Dartmoor Magazine (Winter 1991). Tom's work showed that the distribution within Devon extended well beyond Dartmoor, and he drew attention to the occurrence of the design on continental Europe and in Buddhist cave temples near Dunhuang, China. In 1999, Tom and Elisabeth Greeves carried out further exploration in France and Germany.

Sue Andrew's extensive research began in the mid-1990s. Her studies focused on the motif in Islamic and Buddhist contexts and on the possible transmission of the design from east to west through the medium of textiles. Sue has established valuable contacts with collectors, curators and scholars in relevant academic fields.

Chris Chapman's images are essential to the Project, for it is only through the medium of photography and through the skill of the photographer that the detail and craftsmanship of many of the more inaccessible examples of the hares can be fully appreciated.

The Three Hares Project has now documented all known occurrences of the motif in Devon and the rest of Britain and has begun work on continental Europe. The Project team visited China in August 2004 to give presentations at academic conferences in Mogao and Beijing.

Sharing of knowledge is an important element in Three Hares Project research. The Project is always happy to receive details of sightings of the three hares and to learn of information relating to the design.

Contact Us
Email:
Sue Andrew   threehares@btinternet.com
Tom Greeves    tomgreeves@btconnect.com
Chris Chapman   chapman88@btinternet.com

Telephone:
Tom Greeves + 44 (0)1822 617004
Chris Chapman + 44 (0)1647 231508

The Three Hares Project is supported by Devon County Council, Dartmoor National Park Authority, The Devonshire Association and Videotel Productions.

Warm thanks are due to the many vicars, church wardens and caretakers, museum curators and owners of private houses and collections who have assisted us.

Special thanks are due to the Classical Chinese Puzzle Project for its unstinting support.