Edmund de Waal’s memoir, The Hare with Amber Eyes, is a captivating journey through art, memory, and the rise and fall of one of Europe’s most prominent Jewish families—the Ephrussis. Through the lens of a collection of 264 Japanese netsuke—miniature, intricately carved sculptures—de Waal traces the fortunes of his ancestors across Odessa, Paris, Vienna, and Tokyo.
The Ephrussi family began as grain merchants in 19th-century Odessa and rose to prominence as bankers and art patrons in Paris and Vienna. Charles Ephrussi, a cousin of de Waal’s great-grandfather, was a renowned art historian and collector who acquired the netsuke during the height of Japonisme in Paris. In 1899, he gifted the collection to his cousin Viktor Ephrussi and Viktor’s wife Emmy in Vienna, where the netsuke became cherished playthings for their children.
The family’s prosperity was shattered in 1938 when the Nazis annexed Austria. The Ephrussi’s grand residence, Palais Ephrussi on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, was seized, and their possessions looted. Remarkably, the netsuke survived—hidden in a mattress by a loyal maid named Anna. After the war, the collection was passed down through generations, eventually reaching de Waal, who inherited them from his great-uncle Iggie in Tokyo.
Today, many of these netsuke—including the titular hare with amber eyes—are on long-term loan to the Jewish Museum Vienna, where they serve as poignant symbols of resilience and continuity. Visitors can explore the collection and the Ephrussi family’s history at the museum.
De Waal’s memoir is more than a family history; it’s a meditation on the enduring power of objects to carry stories across time and space. Through the delicate carvings of the netsuke, The Hare with Amber Eyes offers a deeply personal perspective on art, identity, and the legacy of displacement.
For those in Vienna, the Jewish Museum offers a tangible connection to this remarkable narrative. Plan your visit here: https://www.jmw.at/en.
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