Purrquoise Enamel Pin

This enamel pin features a turquoise cat on a cushion, drawing inspiration from a figurine on view in the Getty’s Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection known as Purrquoise.

- Dimensions: 1 3/4 inches L x 1 1/2 inches W
- Material: Enamel, nickel, 2 metal butterfly attachments
- Made in the USA
- Item #: CAT-PIN

This turquoise-glazed Chinese porcelain cat, seated with its tail curled against its thigh, reflects forms seen in eighteenth-century figures like chimeras and guardian lions. A hole near the spine suggests it once held incense, placed beneath the base before a cushion was added. Made in early eighteenth-century China for export, it was later adorned in France with gilded bronze mounts, glass eyes, and a low stool with a richly decorated cushion. Owned by the Marquise de Pompadour, it exemplifies the refined taste of elite European collectors.

Source Object:
Title: Cat
Artist/Maker: Unknown
Cultures: Chinese and French
Place: China and France
Date: 1700–1755
Medium: Porcelain, glass, and gilded bronze
Object Number: 2024.127
Dimensions: 45 × W: 30 × D: 22 cm (17 11⁄16 × 11 13⁄16 × 8 11⁄16 in.)