Calico Cat and Noble Peonies, anonymous, Sung dynasty, Hanging scroll. The National Palace Museum, Taiwan.

A black-and-white cat crouches below peony blossoms, a red ribbon tied at the back of its neck craning upwards. Along with the beautiful coat of long hair nicely arranged, it suggests that this cat was groomed by somebody and well taken care of. The cat's only problem is that it is tied up, somewhat restricting its freedom to move around. Judging from the thick and steady coloring as well as the varied details and realistic techniques of rendering the three-dimensional effects, this is probably a masterpiece of court painting from the 12 th century in the late Northern Sung period.