This Silver Tabby Sat for a Royal Portrait. His Expression Says He's Led Many Hunts.
Those copper eyes have seen many a royal hunt, or at least that is what this expression wants you to believe. A silver tabby British Shorthair stares straight out from the canvas, round-faced and utterly serious, dressed in a deep forest-green velvet coat dripping with gold embroidery. Swirling floral needlework climbs the collar and shoulders, a row of gilded frog closures marches down the chest, and a velvet bow with a golden rosette sits at the throat. Behind him, a dark olive damask wall glows faintly, and the fine cracks in the paint give the whole portrait an air of centuries-old dignity.
Hunting was one of the great passions of the Tudor court. Henry VIII in particular was famous for spending long days in the saddle, chasing deer through royal parks and forests. Green was a classic color for hunting dress because it blended into the woodland, and rich velvet trimmed with gold would have signaled wealth and status. In fact, England had sumptuary laws in this era that restricted who could wear certain fabrics, colors, and trims, depending on rank. A coat like this one would have announced its wearer's importance from across the room.
Whether this distinguished tabby has ever chased anything more than a feather toy is another question entirely. But with that steady gaze and those magnificent cheeks, he certainly looks the part of the king's most trusted huntsman.
