In the Austrian region of Weinviertel you often see a symbol of a cat. This symbol is known as ‘cellar cat’ (Kellerkatze). Some people believe the cat living in a wine vault will always rest on the barrel with the best wine. So vintners started to put the sculpture of a cat on top of the casks with their best products.
Honestly speaking this is only one of several explanations I heard about this symbol but it’s the story I like most. By the way, a famous sculptor creating a lot of cellar cats you can see in Weinviertel, is Guenther Stockinger.
- Weinviertler Kellerkatzen (Website)
- Günter Stockinger (Website)