Rare 1920’s scare cat from Ballarat region, Victoria

This is truely a rare piece. Late c 1920’s depression era tin scare cat with original black paint and eye hook. Scare cats were used primarily to frighten birds from the garden, particularly orchards or over newly sewn seeds. The tin cat was tied with string or wire off a tree branch and swing in the breeze giving an illusion of a live cat. In this example,the cat is running or about to pounce. The punched hole eyes equally gave the effect of menacing eyes.