Galleries : Undying Tales 2021 : UT 1 - Iriomote Cat
|
IRIOMOTE CAT - 6.5x6.5 inches $205.00 (All profits from sale of this piece go to environmental charities!) - SOLD
Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis Status:Critically endangered, due to loss of habitat and competition from feral cat population Japanese folklore is populated with Yōkai, supernatural spirits or creatures, and references to spirit felines in writing can be found in some early literature in the 1100s. The spirit nature of cats is evident in their characteristics, behavior, and traits that they possess. They slink through the night, and caterwaul with sometimes human-like sounds. Their eyes glint and dilate rapidly to let them see in the dark. They pad silently on wood or dirt, slipping silent and ghostlike through their surroundings until without warning, they pounce on unsuspecting prey with claw and fang. Nekomata are mysterious feline spirit beasts that dwell in the mountains. They slip along the hidden paths, and hide in the craggy peaks. Perhaps if a wanderer finds oneself alone on a mountain path and a youth or young maid steps out to hail traveler, beware that it might be a shape-changed nekomata. Since the Edo period there have been beliefs that ancient nekomata were once housecats, who as they became aged, ran away from their human homes to become feral and powerful spirit creatures.
Size: 7 x 7 inches Detail closeups:
|
