Needle Felted Cat Head

羊毛フェルト製「リアル猫ヘッド」。 上野・東京都美術館・平泉展選抜展 佐藤法雪【猫科】生徒作品展 日程：平成２７年４月１８日（土）～２３日（木）※月曜休み 会場：東京都美術館（上野）１階　第１展示室 pic.twitter.com/ZCer3Nth66

— 法雪needle felted cats (@freecatdoll) April 6, 2015

You will be forgiven for thinking that someone Photoshopped a cat’s head onto a human’s body. The head is a little big, but that’s because it had to fit over the human head. It’s a handmade cat head.

This creepily realistic cat head was made from sheep’s wool felt by teacher Housetu Sato and his students of the Japan School of Wool Art (nihonyoumoua-togakuen). It’s the only school in the world to boast a specialist cat-making course where students learn the art of creating realistic-looking “needle felted cats”.

Sato-sensei is an expert in this niche field and has even published a series of books on how to make realistic felt animals. He instructs students from complete beginners onwards in this special art, and below you can see them modelling their impressive but disconcerting creation.

「リアル猫ヘッド」【猫科】の生徒さんがノリノリで猫被ってくれました＾＾みんな楽しそう！上野・東京都美術館・平泉展選抜展・佐藤法雪【猫科】生徒作品展４月１８日（土）～２３日（木）※月曜休み：東京都美術館１階第１展示室 pic.twitter.com/vrHf7nXnL3

— 法雪needle felted cats (@freecatdoll) April 7, 2015

You want to try it on? You can, if you attend an art exhibit at the Tokyo Museum of Art, where this cat head will be on display starting this weekend. See more pictures at the Cat Doll Blog. -via Uproxx