Japanese silk embroidery of cats late Meiji period

Japanese silk embroidery decorated with cats worked in layers of long and short silk stitch to achieve subtle colour blending and with ticker threads for the eyes and furs. The grass with overlapping stitches at different angles giving a sense of movement on a satin cream silk background with wood frame, late Meiji period (1868-1912).

Cats 猫 (neko) are often represented in Japanese Art and folklore and are much loved in Japan. It is believed that they were brought from China by travelling Buddhist monks in the 6th Century.

In the 19th Century the famous artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi featured cats in his ukiyo-e woodblocks and also cats with human features in many of his works.

All our pieces come with a BADA Certificate of Provenance (The British Antiques Dealer's Association) and are inclusive of free worldwide shipping & insurance.