Black Cat Christmas Decoration

This black cat Christmas decoration is made from recycled paper pulp and painted by hand in Kashmir, so each cat comes with its own face, markings and expression. It hangs as happily on a Christmas tree as it does from a window catch or a bookshelf the rest of the year, which makes it a good present for anyone who lives with a cat of their own.

The cat is shaped from pulped waste paper and dried hard, then handed to a painter who works the black ground, the eyes and the finer details with a brush. Because every one is painted freehand, no two cats look quite alike. One may have a wider stare or a longer whisker than the next, and that variety is something we enjoy about them.

Papier mâché has been made in Kashmir since the fifteenth century, when the craft arrived with artisans from Persia. We source these cats from a supplier who describes the Kashmiri group that makes them as fair trade, paying fair wages and keeping a centuries-old craft in work.

Caring for a Papier Mâché Cat

Keep your cat dry and dust it with a soft brush now and then, because the paper it is made from will soften if it gets damp. Between seasons, a little nest of tissue paper in a dry drawer will stop it being knocked or crushed.

• Material: recycled paper pulp, hand-painted
• Made in: Kashmir, India
• Sold individually