4″x5″ acrylic, 2009. This is a tiny painting of my husband’s childhood stuffed bunny. The bunny was unearthed a couple of months ago at his parents’ house and shown to me with a sense of extreme reverence. When I asked what the story with it was, there was a lot of shrugging and looking at one another. “It’s a bunny, and it’s a…ball,” the family finally agreed. I love that there really isn’t any more say about it than what is evident in its serious wear and tear.
14 thoughts on “Bunny Ball”
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I am so excited to find this picture! I grew up with a bunny ball as well. I remember describing it to someone in the same way a bunny and a ball. Mine however is even more worn out with love.
I too have a special bunnyball, now 30+ years old. If you give me your email, I’ll share what he looks like. He’s had many ear and feet transplants, as well as 2 “fur grafts.” I’ve barely ever spent the night without him. This painting does capture the essence of a bunny ball, even if it does look closer to a brand new one.
How fantastic!! I would absolutely love to see your bunny ball. I had something similar too, but it was just vaguely 4-sided, although still pretty round. I feel like that sort of thing was popular in the 70’s for a little bit. I’d be delighted if you would send a pic to jennifer (at) yourtoyportrait.com! Thanks!
I had a bunnyball as well – I must have received it sometime around 1976 – it was my favorite. I gave it to my baby cousin when I was about 11 years old and never saw it again 🙁 I was so happy to see this portrait because I was beginning to think it was all in my head since I could never find any photos of a bunnyball online.
Oh my God! I love this portrait! I was trying to explain to my daughter what a bunnyball was and came across this picture. I still have my bunnyball out on my nightstand. I WANT this painting!!!!
Ha, thank you! Well, there a several options here for you here… I do have the original, and it’s sitting here all framed and available for purchase for $60. Also, you could order a print of it. Better yet, I could paint you a new portrait of your own bunnyball! Let me know what you think!
My brother had multiple Bunny Balls in the 1970s and 1980s in South Jersey. He went everywhere with them. Two survive to this day and they are named Kissy and Skinhead. We even carried a Bunny Ball to our barber in Cherry Hill and the barber would pretend he was cutting Bunny Ball’s hair. When my brother’s daughter (my niece) was born in 2010 in South Jersey, I brought a Bunny Ball to the hospital. The original Bunny Balls were manufactured with a bell inside of them. My Mom was concerned my Brother would somehow rip open the Bunny Ball and swallow the bell so she methodically removed the bell from each Bunny Ball. Seriously, he’s 36 years old now and still has 2 Bunny Balls so you know how great they are. Terri, Beth, and Gina never had a Bunny Ball but Bunny Ball still makes guest appearances when they are least expecting it like at funerals, weddings, etc. Terri, Beth, and Gina did watch a lot of Annie on Friday nights in their folks’ bedroom with the weird workout equipment bolted to the wall. We know because we were there like every Friday night smelling like mussels linguini from Boccaccio 70. I think Bunny Ball also went to Boccaccio. P.S. Gina swallowed the penny!
How fabulous! My husband and I both have childhood connections to NJ — wonder if bunny balls were a Jersey thing…?
Really? Where in NJ were your connections? So you were deprived because you didn’t have a real Bunny Ball but rather some 4-sided impostor? You might be able to borrow Kissy or Skinhead if I can ferret them await for a brief visit. I wonder how popular Bunny Balls were. Have you ever seen one in person? I was shocked when I originally found this website – and your portraits – months ago. Until then, I thought Bunny Balls were kind of like Snuffleupagi (plural of Snuffleupagus): furry and real but difficult to validate their existence.
I lived in Hamilton (by Trenton) from ’78-’86, and my husband lived in North Jersey when he was a baby… Maybe they got it there and then? No idea! It’s the only Bunny Ball I’ve ever met in “person.” Lol at Snuffleupagi.
So did Hamilton make you a Phillies fan, or were you too far north? So your husband was the Bunny Ball man, eh? I wonder when they stopped manufacturing Bunny Balls, and if e-bay or anyone has any for sale. What’s your husband’s Bunny Ball’s name? Did you pass it down to your children? Do you know the first name of Mr Snuffleupagus?
Here’s a picture from 1988 with my very well loved bunny ball, and my sister’s still round and fluffy bunny.
I still have mine, though he’s almost threadbare. I always thought a great aunt had made it for me, but happy to see others have loved their bunny balls so much.
This is FANTASTIC Jess! Love it!
my son loved his bunny ball to death!! now he is expecting – i have been searching and searching to find one. any ideas or knowledge where i can purchase one?? any help would be so greatly appreciated! it