Figure of a Seated Cat

Late Period (Saite)–Ptolemaic Period

664–30 BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130

Cats were considered sacred to Bastet, a powerful protective goddess thought to bring great prosperity. Generally represented as a cat or as a female with a cat’s head (see 34.6.1), she is frequently shown standing, indicating that she is alert and on guard against hostile forces. Cat statuettes were often dedicated as offerings in temples or deposited in sacred animal catacombs alongside cat mummies; larger figures could be hollow to hold actual cat remains. In this example, the cat wears an amulet in the form of a wedjat, the healed eye of Horus that was thought to ward off dangerous forces.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Figure of a Seated Cat
Period: Late Period (Saite)–Ptolemaic Period
Date: 664–30 BCE
Geography: From Egypt
Medium: Cupreous alloy
Dimensions: H. 6.2 × W. 2.1 × D. 3.8 cm (2 7/16 × 13/16 × 1 1/2 in.)
Credit Line: Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020
Object Number: 2021.41.166
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Pair of boat-shaped earrings with filigree and granule decoration, Gold — Pair of boat-shaped earrings with filigree and granule decoration
1st–2nd century CE

Marsyas, Balthasar Permoser German, Marble on a black marble socle inlaid with light marble panels, German, executed Rome or Florence — Marsyas
Balthasar Permoser
ca. 1680–85

Arched Harp (shoulder harp), Wood — Arched Harp (shoulder harp)
ca. 1386–1300 BCE

Box-form ornament with granulation, Gold — Box-form ornament with granulation
6th–4th century BCE

Harlequina, Franz Anton Bustelli Swiss, Hard-paste porcelain, German, Nymphenburg — Harlequina
Modeler Franz Anton Bustelli
Manufactory Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory
ca. 1763

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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.