Cat with very worn inscription
Bastet was a powerful goddess of Lower Egypt, one who was protective and could bring about great prosperity. In zoomorphic form, she was represented as a cat and cats were considered sacred to her. This cat sits on a menat-shaped base in a typical pose, upright with its tail wrapped along its right side. It is poised and alert, on guard against external forces. A worn inscription on the base preserved Bastet’s name and parts of the donor’s parents’ names.
Like cat-headed Bastet statuettes, these cats often have special adornments. This figure’s ears seem to have been pierced for earrings, probably originally of precious metal, and it wears a broad collar, below which hangs an amulet, the identity of which is unclear. Incised marks on the tail imitate the ringed tail of a cat. It also has inscribed bands above the front paws, a curious feature not commonly represented; the markings could simply be the creased joint of the flexed paws, or they could represent more jewelry, such as bracelets.
Cat statuettes were among some of the most common zoomorphic dedications of the Late and Ptolemaic Periods. Small ones, like this one, would have been dedicated as offerings to temples or would have been deposited in catacombs alongside cat mummies, as at the extensive catacombs at Bubastis and Saqqara. Sometimes larger hollow examples held a cat mummy inside.
Like cat-headed Bastet statuettes, these cats often have special adornments. This figure’s ears seem to have been pierced for earrings, probably originally of precious metal, and it wears a broad collar, below which hangs an amulet, the identity of which is unclear. Incised marks on the tail imitate the ringed tail of a cat. It also has inscribed bands above the front paws, a curious feature not commonly represented; the markings could simply be the creased joint of the flexed paws, or they could represent more jewelry, such as bracelets.
Cat statuettes were among some of the most common zoomorphic dedications of the Late and Ptolemaic Periods. Small ones, like this one, would have been dedicated as offerings to temples or would have been deposited in catacombs alongside cat mummies, as at the extensive catacombs at Bubastis and Saqqara. Sometimes larger hollow examples held a cat mummy inside.
Artwork Details
- Title: Cat with very worn inscription
- Period: Late Period–Ptolemaic Period
- Date: 664–30 B.C.
- Geography: From Egypt
- Medium: Cupreous metal
- Dimensions: H. 8.8 cm (3 7/16 in.); W. 3.6 cm (1 7/16 in.); L. 5.9 cm (2 5/16 in.)
- Credit Line: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
- Object Number: 10.130.1320
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
550–300 B.C.
ca. 945–712 BCE
332–30 BCE
390–246 BCE
610–595 B.C.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.