Key facts
- Style
- Traditional (Old School)the whole piece
- Colour
- Full colour
What it shows estimated from the photo
A mainmaneki-neko lucky cat.Smaller details — cherry blossoms and coin.
About this tattoo
A maneki-neko lucky cat; smaller details — cherry blossoms and coin. It is done in the traditional style, in full colour. It sits on the calf.
The tattoo was made by Erik Gillespie at Great Lakes Tattoo in Chicago.
Details
The work
- Style
- Traditional (Old School)
- Subject
- Maneki-neko lucky cat 70% · Cherry blossoms 20% · Coin 10%
- Palette
- Full colour
Placement and size
- Placement
- Calf
Time and cost
- Price
- No estimate for this piece: this older photo has no size yet; it gets one when it is re-scanned. Studio’s rate ≈$250/h (studio’s published rate).
Pain and healing
- Pain
- Mild, 2 of 5 — good muscle padding, sharper near the shin and ankle
- Healing
- Easy
- Visibility
- Visible in shorts
- More
- Tattoo pain map · Pain by placement
All tags and facts
- Style
- ⚓ Traditional (Old School)
- Subject
- 🐈 Cat💮 Cherry Blossom
- Placement
- 🦿 Calf
- Colour
- 🌈 Color
- Pain
- 2/5 · mild
- Healing
- Easy
- Visibility
- Visible in shorts
Source and scan
- Work ID
- 11187
- Published on
- greatlakestattoo.com
- On TatSeek since
- 2026-09-30
- Scan
- TatSeek scan 3 (to be re-scanned)
More from Erik Gillespie 14 tattoos
View all →
Questions and answers
What can a cat tattoo mean?
Cat — often independence or mystery — or simply a much-loved pet. Meanings change with culture and person — what it means to you matters most. Understanding tattoo meanings →
Where was this tattoo done?
Erik Gillespie made it at Great Lakes Tattoo, 1148 W Grand Ave, Chicago. 10 min walk from Chicago subway station. You book with the studio directly; TatSeek takes no fee. View on the map →
How painful is a calf tattoo, and how does it heal?
Calf: mild, 2 of 5 — good muscle padding, sharper near the shin and ankle. Long sessions, stress and no sleep make it feel worse. The surface looks healed in 2–4 weeks and the skin settles over a few months; here healing is easy and the spot is visible in shorts. Pain map →
How will a tattoo like this age?
Bold outlines and solid black are the styles that age best — the design stays readable even as lines soften slightly over decades. Sunscreen keeps the colour from fading. How tattoos age →
Can I get this exact design?
Use it as a reference. Most artists adapt a design to your body and their own style rather than copy another person’s tattoo line for line — and if you want this artist’s look, the best option is to book this artist. Copying, references and AI designs →
How do I book something like this?
Message the studio with this photo, where you want it and how big, colour or black and grey, your budget and dates. The “Message template” button next to the price gives you a ready text to edit and copy. How to message a tattoo artist →
