small art: stone cat

This cat is the top of a small stone "inkan" (a.k.a. "hanko"), a carved stone, ivory or wood seal much like a rubber stamp, used in Asia to sign one's name.

I carved the cat using a $1 cutter knife (with a locking blade) and a metal nailfile to create the pierced hole between the tail and the base.

The American penny is there to show the scale.