# Baroque Pearl Mounted as a Cat Holding a Mouse

- By: Spanish or south German
- Date: 17th century
- Medium: Gold, enamel, and baroque pearl
- Classification: Costume and Accessories
- Dimensions: 2.7 × 4 cm (1 1/16 × 1 1/2 in.)
- Culture: Spain
- Credit line: Gift of Marilynn B. Alsdorf
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/119335)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/fe394433-14ae-89e0-136f-31cbdb390771/full/843,/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

This decorative personal object would have been fashionable on several levels in late 16th-century Spain. The flecked white enameling used to depict the cat's fur was used in many similar objects, and baroque pearls enjoyed great popularity for their uniqueness.

This piece would have originally been on a chain or a pendant, as evidenced by the three small holes in the cat's ears and by its tail.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0