This week, we're sharing some of our favorite felines—a tribute to "the cat ladies" who inspire, teach and lead us.
There is a fine line between a feline's sense of play and her instinct to hunt. Cats—of every size, shape and variety—are known to be stone-cold killers. For this reason, keepers of house cats are strongly encouraged to keep their charges indoors all the time (for the sake of the billions of birds killed by American cats each year). When playing with a cat—with a laser pointer, a string, a paper bag or a retractable mouse—it is clear that her skill as a huntress is tied to her sense of play. Is your cat trying to "kill" her catnip mouse? Or is she only playing with the lizard in the backyard? (And why does she so often drop her "trophy" at the backdoor, for her mistress to discover?) The "intrepid huntress within" is part of the charm (and the fear) associated with cats—and the reason humans are so often intrigued (or threatened) by their ferocious nature.
Shown above, a playful cat leaps, pawing at an escaping bird. This bas relief kitty springs from a Danish Modernist stoneware plaque sculpted by Knud Kyhn for Royal Copenhagen in the Sixties. Knud Kyhn (1880-1969) had a long history with Royal Copenhagen. He also worked, for a time, with Bing & Grôndahl. He sculpted the original models, most often of naturalistic animals, and supervised the production and glazing of these works. Under his artistic direction, a small number of each piece was produced each year. The goal was to satisfy the Royal Copenhagen collector base while avoiding over-supply by making too many. Good sellers might be reproduced (in small batches) for several years. Slow sellers might be retired more quickly. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome ceramic plaque.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248