Collection of cat figurines

Each of us collected something: candy wrappers, stamps, postcards. We have written about collections more than once, and here is another story.

My friend collects cats, or rather, figurines of mustachioed-striped ones. During an excursion to the home cat museum, Muscovite Elena said:

— I really like cats. People like me are called cat people. Officially, my hobby is called felinophilia – collecting all kinds of materials, images about cats. I believe that even a small figurine of a cat brings happiness and peace to the house. Cats are everywhere in my house. The collection of cats in my house has existed for decades. As a child, I had dogs, I considered myself a dog person. Then my first cat appeared – the charming Murochka. Admiring the pet, I began to buy souvenirs with the image of cats and gradually got involved in the subject. Now my cat collection has about 7 thousand items, this is not counting books, paintings, postcards. At first I bought all items with cats, but gradually settled on figurines. The collection is not just endless cabinets, it is humor, travel, memories, amazing stories. My cats do not gather dust on the shelves, they live, each has its own corner, its own company, its own mood. Behind each copy is a small story from the life of mine or friends. I buy, exchange, bring cats from trips, business trips or just walks around the city. My friends also bring figurines, they always know how to please.

My collection is divided into sections. The so-called “intellectual” part – books about cats and cats: artistic, scientific, children’s. There is a book in the form of a life-size cat! And also photo albums, CDs, calendars and paintings, embroideries, stamps, photographs, engravings, tapestries.

The second part I conditionally call “household”. There are more than six hundred mugs and a hundred teapots with cats. There are also many other dishes with cats and in the form of cats. There are also cat-themed spoons. The personal bowls of my three living cats are also decorated with cat and mouse figurines. The refrigerator is covered in “cat” magnets. The bathroom has soap, toothbrushes, washcloths, towels, shampoo bottles, combs, perfumes – all with a “cat” theme. There are collectible “cat” umbrellas, bedspreads, vases, lamps, rugs, flower pots, pots, pillows, clothes and shoes.

But the main part of the collection is figurines of cats. The size is different – from a couple of millimeters to … well, what fit into the apartment! The figurines are very different: from frankly toy to naturalistic. The materials are also different: clay, rag, porcelain, wood, fur, felt, glass, gold, crystal, bronze, bead, paper, amber, and even ivory. There is a copper cat from St. Petersburg, figurines made of natural and semi-precious stones. There is a Turkish cat made from frozen sea foam, and a cat from the lava stone of Mount Etna came from Italy. There are cats made of Murano glass, Spanish majolica, Baltic straw. A special box contains a collection of jewelry: rings, rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants.

A separate section of the collection is devoted to folk art. Figurines of cats from Gzhel, caskets and trays from Fedoskino, Zhostovo, Palekh. Figurines and whistles decorated with Gorodets and Mezen paintings, matryoshka cats, lace Vologda cats and downy Orenburg cats, Kasli casting, Shemogod birch bark and Abramtsevo woodcarving. There is filigree and even enamel! Many figurines are author’s, exist in a single copy.

Another unusual and bright representatives of the collection are the Austrian “moon cats” with bright crescent-shaped faces. The collection was not without popular images: maneki-neko (Japanese cat with its paw raised up, believed to bring good luck to the owner), the popular Hello Kitty, figurines of cats from fairy tales and cartoons.

Any collection is a mirror of the soul, a reflection of the hidden experiences of the owner. I know for sure that the soul of the mistress, her heart, her experiences and aspirations, feelings, and her whole life, are given to adored cats.

Mikhail Kovalyov.

Author’s photo