A row of cats stands shoulder to shoulder around the mug, every one of them looking straight out at you. They carry on round the back, so you never see the whole committee at once. Ginger tabby, cream, black and white, one in blue grey.
Each colour is laid inside a drawn black line and pools slightly under the glaze, sitting a little proud of the white porcelain. The rim is not quite a circle. Underneath the foot there is a small mark brushed in blue by whoever painted it.
Because the painting is done by hand, the faces come out differently from one mug to the next. Some cats end up wide awake, some half asleep. No two committees are quite the same, and the one that arrives will not be the one photographed here.
