Nekomata can be recognized by their two tails, a sign to beware! They are best known for eating children, but you might find them wreaking other havoc as well. But still, they’re cats, so who can resist them?

Our nekomata was inspired by a “sneaky tiger” by Charles Looff. Tigers were a common menagerie animal in many carousel workshops, but the “sneaky tiger” was a rarer pose. Most carousel tigers had a proudly raised head, but the sneaky variety had a lowered head, as though stalking its prey. Beware of the tiger and of this nekomata!

Did you know? The Coney Island style is flashy and highly ornamented, but Looff’s work is particularly characterized by lots of metallic leaf and glass “gems.” Our bakeneko is not quite as grand!