Just Playing
DESIGN BY EALAIN-JAQ STUDIO
FIG 1. ORIGINAL ARTWORK
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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Just Playing catches two young Western Gorillas in the middle of an exuberant wrestling match on the damp floor of a tropical forest. One youngster lies among the fallen leaves while its companion leans across its body, their arms, hands and feet tangled together in a lively exchange of pushes, grabs and playful resistance.
Both gorillas have their mouths open as they face one another at close range, lending the encounter an animated sense of movement and excitement. Small fingers curl into dense black fur, while the youngster beneath braces a foot against its companion's body. Their compact juvenile proportions and softly rounded forms contrast with the extraordinary strength already apparent in their limbs and grasping hands. Pale patches of hair are visible on their rumps, standing clearly against the surrounding dark coats.
Around them, wet leaves, moss, twigs and low vegetation cover the forest floor. Filtered sunlight enters through the dense green canopy above, illuminating the wrestling pair while the surrounding rainforest recedes into shadow. It is a wonderfully unruly portrait of childhood: physical, noisy and entirely absorbed in play.
ABOUT THIS COLLECTION
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BACKGROUND AND HISTORY
The Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) spends a considerable part of its early life playing. Young gorillas chase, climb, roll, wrestle and grapple with siblings and other juveniles, often returning repeatedly to the same companions for energetic bouts of rough-and-tumble play. Although these encounters can look surprisingly vigorous, they form an important part of normal social development.
Wrestling allows youngsters to practise balance, coordination and control while learning how much force another gorilla will tolerate. Play partners continually respond to one another, and an interaction can be slowed, interrupted or resumed depending upon the behaviour of each participant. In this way, play provides opportunities to practise social communication as well as physical skills.
Young Western Gorillas may also display a conspicuous pale or white rump patch, particularly during infancy. This juvenile marking gradually disappears as the animal matures and is thought to provide a useful visual signal of immaturity to other group members. Together with playful behaviour, it makes childhood surprisingly visible within gorilla society: these youngsters are not miniature adults, but developing animals being given time to explore, practise and learn the rules of life within their social group.
CULTURAL CONTEXT AND SYMBOLOGY
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CONSERVATION INFORMATION
This design donates to animal and conservation efforts
Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
For young gorillas, wrestling, chasing and tumbling are much more than entertainment. Social play is an important part of learning how to be a gorilla. Juveniles practise controlling their strength, coordinating their movements and interpreting the intentions of others. Research on young Western Lowland Gorillas has shown that they adjust the roughness and signalling of their play according to their partner and circumstances, demonstrating the sophisticated communication involved even in apparently chaotic wrestling matches.
These relationships matter particularly for a species whose young develop within stable social groups. Studies of rehabilitating orphaned Western Lowland Gorillas have found that play can account for a substantial proportion of interactions between youngsters and is associated with group cohesion. This has practical conservation importance because gorillas rescued from the illegal wildlife trade may eventually be considered for reintroduction. Rehabilitation must therefore restore more than physical health: young animals also need opportunities to develop the social and behavioural skills required for life among other gorillas.
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