In Burmese iconography, the representation of a rabbit, typically depicted in a circle, often occurs, which on its own stands as a symbol of the moon, since their is a dark spot on the surface of the moon that resembles the contours of a rabbit (fig.).

This kind of rabbit figure is generally found in combination with the image of a peacock, which on its own is a symbol of the sun, and ‒akin to the position of the true sun and moon in the firmament‒ is placed opposite to that of the rabbit.

When depicted together in this way (fig.), as on the hintha figureheads of this barge (fig.), they are seen as a symbol of Enlightenment, akin to the Chinese characters for sun and moon, i.e. 日 (ri) and 月 (yue), that when placed together as 明 (ming), become to mean ‘bright’, ‘clear’, or ‘to understand’.