Glass rabbit

“I had been roaming the streets of Leiden for a while when I stumbled upon a thrift shop and saw this cute, very delicate little glass rabbit. The thrift shop had all kinds of things, such as old bikes, Buddha statues, and even a qipao!”

This glass rabbit is actually sold online as a container for small chocolates, paaseieren especially.https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/1x-stuks-paaseitjes-schaaltjes-glazen-haas-konijn-11-cm-glazen-pasen-decoratie-bakjes-bonbonnieres/9300000019772713/ They are small chocolate eggs that parents usually hide for their children during Easter in the Netherlands. Kids get up in the morning and look for all the chocolate eggs in the garden, which they can then eat. Many Dutch people have a small stash of these chocolate eggs in small containers around Easter.

For the PhD student who bought it, it has a similar function. She uses the glass rabbit to keep small candies. Quite the handy container. But this object tells us more than just its use, it also tells us about where it was bought.

Buying second-hand goods is actually good for the environment. Through prolonging the life of second-hand goods, there is less to be produced.https://www.milieucentraal.nl/bewust-winkelen/tweedehands/#:~:text=veel%20minder%20energie.-,Waarom%20hergebruik%20milieuwinst%20geeft,om%20nieuwe%20spullen%20te%20maken. Second-hand stores are thus very popular in the Netherlands. Vintage clothes and items enjoy tremendous popularity nowadays, and second-hand stores can be found in many towns in the Netherlands.https://www.bedrock.nl/tweedehands-winkelen-populair/

“In China, there are not as many stores that sell second-hand items. I think they are just not that popular. I believe there are a few similar stores nowadays in larger cities such as Shanghai, but you will have to look them up.”

Thrift shops in the Netherlands are very accessible, and you can wander inside relatively easily. The story of this glass rabbit is, however, far from over. Having been bought in a thrift shop in the Netherlands, it will one day find its way to China, since the owner intends to bring it back home with her.

There the rabbit will continue its life and continue fulfilling its purpose of storing candies.