"Caracal Kid"

The caracal (Caracal caracal) is a feline of Africa and Asia with a uniformly russet coat, recognisable above all by its long ears adorned with black tufts of hair — 'kara kulak' in Turkish means 'black ears'. Kittens are born with blue eyes, which turn amber as they grow. From the first weeks, the ear tufts are already well present.

The kitten is caught in a moment of play, seated on its hind legs, one foreleg raised high — as an invitation or an attempt to strike at something invisible. That gesture — the paw stretched towards the void — concentrates everything that makes the caracal charming at this age: the clumsiness of a body still poorly coordinated, and already the precision of the eye. The blue eyes, which will disappear with maturity, add to the singularity of this portrait.