Sleeping Cat
Unknown Artist
early to mid-1800s
Medium
Porcelain with overglaze color enamel and gold (Hizen ware)
Dimensions
9.5 × 14.6 cm, l. 22.4 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Severance and Greta Millikin Collection
Accession Number
1964.255
About this artwork
Models of sleeping cats with collars and bells like this one were popular as decorative objects, and some of them also served as incense burners or hand warmers. This cat was just for display and has very carefully incised lines in the surface of the clay body, as well as thin strokes of orange and gold over the glaze to create the sense of soft fur.