Amazingly this traditional 2 colour cat embroidery is actually different on both sides.
This embroidery comes with a chicken wing wood (Jichimu) frame, a soft hardwood with beautiful grains resembling the pattern of bird feathers.
Embroidered Area: Circle Diameter 18.5cm
Total Size with Frame: Width 28cm x Height 37cm X Depth 9.5cm
Truly a classic amongst double sided embroidery designs, the two coloured cat highlights the amazing skill of the embroiderer. Just how is it possible to embroider on both sides of a silk cloth and yet see no reverse stitching? To the uninitiated these are simply embroideries of wonder and intrigue, but at the same time they are pleasing to the eye.
In Chinese culture, the cat with it's searing eyes and good eyesight is believed to disperse evil spirits, while it is also famous as the 13th sign of the Chinese Zodiac.
But you may ask, aren't there only twelve signs of the zodiac? And of course you would be right!
However, there is a legend of a race to determine which animals should be included in the Chinese calendar and within this race a great river needed to be crossed. The cat and the rat whom were friends during this ancient epoch, agreed to work together to cross the river on the back of an ox, but when half way across the river, the rat decided to push the cat into the water. Thus the rat managed to finish in 1st place just pipping the ox to the title, while the cat was relegated to 13th position and so outside the calendar.
It is thus conjectured that due to the action of the conniving (or dirty) rat, the cat and the rat became permanent enemies, and the cat became scared of water.
