Art in an Early Global World at WAM: A WAM/College of the Holy Cross CollaborationMain MenuAmanda Luyster17d39c1ecea88fb7ff282fe74a410b89478b8327Created by the Worcester Art Museum and the College of the Holy Cross, with the Worcester Public Schools AP Art History class of 2024. Financial support provided by the Medieval Academy of America and "Scholarship in Action" at Holy Cross.
12024-03-28T13:31:04-07:00Where was the Reclining Cat produced?6plain2024-08-15T10:50:39-07:0034.353, 62.204Audrey Wang, College of the Holy Cross, Class of 2025
This bronze reclining cat sculpture was created in Iran between the 1100s and the 1200s. Given the object's period and nature, it would have likely been produced in a specialized workshop where skilled artisans practiced metalworking and bronze casting. During the 1100s and the 1200s, the art of metalwork was highly developed in Persia. Master artisans would pass their skills and knowledge to apprentices in workshops. They had the expertise and resources to work with different metals and create intricate designs, evident from the incised cartouches and the inlaid copper features on this cat figurine. Such works were often commissioned by patrons of high status, such as members of the royal court or wealthy individuals. A master craftsman might have privately owned these workshops, or they could have been part of a larger guild system standard in many medieval cities for various trades, including metalworking.
