Ursi's Eso Garden

Great circles are straight lines that go all the way around the center of the earth.

The equator is a great circle. Meridians of longitude that cross over the north and south poles are also great circles.

For every location on a great circle, it's antipodal location is also on the circle. Other than the equator itself, any great circle crosses the equator at two antipodal locations, 180° apart.

For any great circle other than the equator, the longitude of the axis points are 90° east and west of the two points where the great circle crosses the equator, and the two axis points are 90° of latitude away from the two points where the great circle reaches it's maximum latitudes.

Easter Island, Nazca, Ollantaytambo, Paratoari, Tassili n'Ajjer and Giza are all aligned on a single great circle. Additional ancient sites that are located within one tenth of one degree of this great circle include Petra; Perseopolis; Khajuraho; Pyay, Sukothai and Anatom Island.

Near Ollantaytambo, Machupicchu and Cuzco are within one quarter of a degree. The Oracle at Siwa in the western Egyptian desert is within one quarter of a degree. In the Indus Valley, Mohenjo Daro and Ganweriwala are within one quarter of a degree. The ancient Sumerian city of Ur and Angkor temples in Cambodia and Thailand are within one degree of the great circle.

What Does the Symbol Mean?

The three hares motif was clearly revered in all the different contexts in which it is found, but, as yet, we have not come across a contemporary written record of its meaning. It may be expected that the motif would have had different meanings in different cultures but, as an archetype, perhaps there was an element of meaning common to all.

The hare is strongly represented in world mythology and from ancient times has had divine associations.

Three hares are chasing one another in an everlasting circle. They share between them only three ears which form a triangle in the center of the design, yet each animal has two ears. The earliest known appearance of this motif is in the Mogao caves near Dunhuang, China, which were created during the Sui to Tang dynasties (581-907 AD). Along the Silk Road other sightings of the three hares (and sometimes four hares) are found. The hares seem to have traveled in distance and time, adapting to different religions and taking on new meanings where they settled.

The ancient Chinese conceived the world in terms of five elements–earth, wood, fire, metal, and water–created by the interaction of two fundamental forces: Yin (passive) and Yang (active).

All natural phenomena were caused by the dynamic interaction of the five elements,which corresponded with the five directions of the terrestrial realm (east, south, west, north, and center). The five colors (blue, red, white, black, and yellow), the animal deities (dragon, phoenix, tiger, tortoise, and snake), and the seasons of the year (fall, spring, summer, and winter) were also used to symbolize the five directions. The placement of the symbols on a dragon robe, based on the diagram of the Chinese cosmos, was believed to enhance the wearer’s mystical relationship to the universe.

Earth was the center of the universe, represented by the Yellow Emperor, and was to be ruled by the emperor. The color yellow was reserved for the emperor and the opening within the collar of the dragon robe was understood to represent the center of the world. Once the dragon robe was donned the emperor was firmly in charge on earth.

The use of rich symbols and colors was especially important for rulers who hoped to achieve harmony of the natural and human worlds through performing the correct rituals and ceremonies. The robes were often conceived as abstract representations of the universe, with the emperor (his head, to be exact) at the center, reflecting the view that imperial authority was an integral part of the universal order.

During the Qing dynasty, a complex system of clothing styles and decorative motifs was developed. Qing dynasty fashion reflected the dual influences of the nomadic Manchu conquerors and the sophisticated Han Chinese. This on-line exhibition provides a greater understanding of these objects in their historical context and a brief introduction to the rich symbolism of Chinese design. The dragon robes are not only beautiful objects, but also meaningful expressions of a Chinese worldview.