Of particular interest is animal known as Sum xu (squirrel) (likely misidentified pine marten), described as a cat-like creature with pendulous ears, in the books following Boym. As the book was copied & misinterpretated, the animal mutated into a mythical bear-sized feline. 🧵 - ThreadSky

nataliajagielska.bsky.social • 1 day ago

Of particular interest is animal known as Sum xu (squirrel) (likely misidentified pine marten), described as a cat-like creature with pendulous ears, in the books following Boym. As the book was copied & misinterpretated, the animal mutated into a mythical bear-sized feline. 🧵

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degltoons.bsky.social•3 hours ago

At first glance I thought this was a sloth, then I noticed the bushy tail

nataliajagielska.bsky.social•1 day ago

More authors copied copies of the book and added details based on dubious references. The marten labelled as a squirrel in the source, mutated to be a rare breed of cat endemic to Beijing. Even described to be ladies favourite, noted by Darwin and used as proof of vestigial traits.

nataliajagielska.bsky.social•1 day ago

The Europeans even invented entire orientalist lore around the creature that did not exist: "not only [the Chinese] admire the cat in porcelain, but also value it for culinary reasons. The cats are regarded as special morsels and enjoyed particularly with noodles or with rice."

nataliajagielska.bsky.social•1 day ago

"the [cat eating] is not unusual if one considers that the Chinese consume much the sight of which revolts the stomachs of Europeans. The poor creature is confined in small bamboo cages and fattened like a goose on plentiful portions." according to a German naturalist in 1896.

nataliajagielska.bsky.social•1 day ago

The German author suggested the cat lost its ears due to domestication, and no longer being an active predator. This was in 1896, thousands of European lived in China, radio existed, and the myth managed to be still propagated.

nataliajagielska.bsky.social•1 day ago

By 1920s during cat breed shows, people realsied the cat was never seen in person. The search for the cat was undertaken for European naturalists to realise the thing they described in lenghty prose never existed. It was a pine marten labelled as "squirrel" by a Polish missionary

synapsidgirl.bsky.social•1 day ago

It's just really weird to me that he'd mistake a pine marten for a squirrel, seeing as we have both in Poland. Just such a bizarre case of misidentification.

nataliajagielska.bsky.social•1 day ago

This is a great cautionary tale, showing how authors happily extrapolated on animal without seeing it or investigating the primary source for accuracy for over 200 years. Filling the gaps with orientalist stereotypes.

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