Canadian artist Jeff de Boer has carved a unique niche for himself by creating incredibly detailed armour, not for humans, but for cats and mice. Inspired by historical designs and rendered in materials like nickel, steel, and brass, his miniature suits of armour evoke a whimsical yet epic vision of the age-old cat-and-mouse dynamic. These aren’t just toys; they are meticulously crafted works of art that capture the imagination and showcase remarkable skill.
De Boer’s journey into this unusual art form began 36 years ago, almost accidentally. Initially working in jewelry making, he conceived of a tiny suit of mouse armour as a side project. His lifelong fascination with armour dates back to a formative childhood visit to Calgary’s Glenbow Museum at the age of five. Later, while studying jewelry in the 1980s, he sought a way to merge his passion for historical armour with the delicate scale of his jewelry work. The question he posed himself was: what kind of armour could be small yet possess a genuine sense of purpose? “And then it dawned on me: I could make a suit of armour for a mouse,” De Boer recounted to National Geographic, echoing Walt Disney’s famous words, “‘It all started with a mouse’.”
Detailed, miniature suit of armour for a mouse, crafted from metal, showcasing intricate articulation and design.
Once the world’s first suit of mouse armour was brought into being, the need for a worthy adversary became apparent. This led de Boer to expand his creations to include armour for cats. Since then, operating from his Calgary studio, he estimates having produced over 500 miniature armour pieces for feline and rodent warriors. His repertoire ranges from Islamic-inspired chainmail designed for a cat to Crusader armour, complete with a perfectly scaled mouse helmet.
Each piece reflects museum-quality craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail. “I am a maker of things: things that are authentic, things that leave people with positive memories and the feeling that beauty and magic still have a place in our world,” de Boer explains, highlighting the ethos behind his creations.
The labour involved in creating these tiny masterpieces is substantial. A single medieval-style mouse armour can take between 30 to 50 hours to complete – and this is after the initial 40 hours required to fashion the specialized miniature tools needed for the armour construction itself. Creating Cat Armour is even more time-intensive, ranging from 50 to a staggering 200 hours per suit, depending on the complexity of the design.
Close-up of a detailed cat armour breastplate, showcasing the metallic finish and intricate design elements.
Commission requests for cat armour are often placed as unique memorials to beloved pets, typically by individuals who share de Boer’s deep appreciation for history and art. “These are like reliquaries in a way, as I build in details that reflect the cat’s personality,” says de Boer. Importantly, he emphasizes that his armour is purely for display and artistic appreciation, not for actual wear by living animals. His one attempt to dress a trained cat for a Japanese game show in the early 1990s quickly taught him this lesson: “Highly not recommended,” he cautions.
As objets d’art, however, de Boer’s cat armour and mouse armour are undeniably captivating. They ignite the imagination, conjuring visions of an ancient, ongoing saga between cats and mice, rendered in exquisite miniature metal form.
