Being a cat - or not?

Being a cat is not always as effortless as it seems.

Often admired for their elegance and independence, cats move in a world full of contradictions. They are loved as companions - and yet sometimes misunderstood. Celebrated in some cultures, viewed with suspicion in others. Some live sheltered lives, others on the margins, at risk of neglect or marginalisation.

Being a cat means balancing between affection and uncertainty - and mastering human expectations with quiet perseverance. It may look graceful. It's not always easy.

Cat or no cat?

This question is posed by three enigmatic objects whose features point to a feline form - perhaps. Erect ears, curved tails, ambivalent silhouettes: The figures challenge us to take a closer look - and to question our perception.

Do we see cats because we want to see them? Because we are familiar with their shapes, meanings and stories? Or are these depictions deliberately open, located somewhere between figure and abstraction? ‘Being a cat - or not quite’ invites us to reflect: on forms, meanings - and the roles we ourselves play in their interpretation.

The camel and the feline

I. 77/62, Fritware with applied elements, opaque turquoise glaze. Allegedly Seljuk, northeastern Iran, 12th – 13th century. 31.5 cm x 8.3 cm x 17 cm, weight 1.092 kg. Museum for Islamic Art, Berlin State Museums

At first glance, this statuette looks like a processional object: a standing camel carries a tent-like howdah, as was used in festive ceremonies. The construction is held by seven small human figures - and was once adorn with two cat-like sculptures, one of which is now missing.

But who created this object? What was it used for? Was it a ritual object - or simply a play with form and imagination? What did the figures that adorned it mean?

Many of these questions remain unanswered. And this is precisely where the value lies: the fragmentary stimulates thought. It reminds us that history is rarely unambiguous - and that even seemingly enigmatic objects can be deeply embedded in social, political or spiritual contexts. The object was acquired from the art and antiques dealer Saeed Motamed in Frankfurt in 1962.

Just a Quick Cat Wash

I. 8856.1, Copper, tin, raised, soldered, tin-plated, engraved/ chased. Iran, 18th – 19th century. 34 x 24 x 11.2 cm, weight 1.47 kg. Museum for Islamic Art, Berlin State Museums

This richly decorated jug with a curved handle and steep spout is part of a two-piece wash set. The matching bowl (I. 8856.2) completes the ensemble.

The body of the jug shows a combination of different metalworking techniques: raised relief patterns, embossing and fine engraving. The central motif on the flat sides is particularly eye-catching: a figure with a short snout and long tail - cat, leopard or something completely different?

It is precisely this ambiguity that makes the picture so appealing. The figure remains vague, open, inviting us to puzzle over it. It refers to the playful freedom of the artist - and to the interpretative curiosity of the viewer.

The set was acquired from the estate of Eugen Wirth (1925-2012), Professor of Geography in Erlangen, specialising in the cultural geography of North Africa and West Asia.

Cat or dog? Or something else entirely?

Another object from this gallery presents us with a classic problem of perception: the museum archive wavered - is it a cat or a greyhound? But how do we recognise one animal or the other?

Feline animals such as lions or leopards usually have compact, muscular bodies, round heads and forward-facing eyes. Greyhounds, on the other hand, are depicted as long-legged, slender, with aerodynamic heads and flowing postures. The figure on this lustre tile could be both - or neither.

The technique itself is remarkable: lustre painting creates a shimmering, shiny metallic surface and reached a peak in Kāshān in the 13th and 14th centuries. The tile shown here is part of a larger panel with ten octagonal star tiles and four cross-shaped elements - a composition of floral, figurative and calligraphic motifs. Whether spiritual, political or decorative: the meaning of the animal depictions remains open. And this is precisely where their power lies.


I. 3866a (single tile without number), glazed ceramic with lustre technique. Iran, 13th century, part of a tile panel, acquired at auction in 1942

I. 6909. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Islamische Kunst / Christian Krug CC BY-SA 4.0
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