Built with love and designed for your holidays! 135379/AL
16/02/2025
We found and saved my grandmother’s cat statue from the ruins of their house that we rebuilt in Portugal 🇵🇹. Did some research on ChatGPT and here is what I found…It is a hand painted Persian cat by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, the famous Portuguese artist and ceramicist who had a beloved cat named “Pilim”. He was known to be fond of animals, and Pilim appeared in some of his drawings and caricatures. Given his playful and artistic nature, it’s possible that some of his ceramic cat designs were inspired by his own pet or by his general admiration for felines. The mark on the bottom of your ceramic cat appears to say “BORDALO PINHEIRO” and “PORTUGAL,” with an image of a frog wearing a crown. This is the hallmark of Fábrica de Faianças Bordalo Pinheiro, a famous Portuguese ceramics manufacturer founded in 1884 by the artist and designer Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro.
Bordalo Pinheiro is known for producing artistic and decorative ceramics, often featuring naturalistic and whimsical designs. The crowned frog is a well-known symbol associated with their pottery.
Your ceramic cat is likely a mid-to-late 20th-century piece from this factory. It’s a lovely vintage find with historical and artistic value!
