19th century Japanese bronze mythical beast,exquisitely crafted with gold and silver highlights in the shakudo tradition.Meiji period.
Converted to a pendant. 2 cms by 2 cms.
Although similar to menuki,which adorned the hilt of katana(samurai sword),this creature is a miniature sculpture with the head entirely formed in the round. 
The bakeneko is a type of Japanese yōkai, or supernatural entity; more specifically, it is a kaibyō, or supernatural cat.