The Cat Bastet
Catalogue Image
Front 2016-00-00
Name/Title
The Cat BastetEntry/Object ID
08EG18133Description
Seated cat. Eyes painted white and gold. Inscribed ornate collar and breastpiece with the Eye of Horus. Body is arched and tail swings around right side, ending at the base of the front right foot. Some damage to the left side of the mid section.Type of Sculpture
StatuetteArtwork Details
Medium
PlasterContext
Bastet was the goddess of cats, fire, home, and childbearing. She made her home in the city of Bubastis, which lay along the Nile's eastern Delta. Bastet frequently adopted a feline form; originally depicted with the head of a lion, she later assumed the image of a woman with a cat's head, or a fully cat-like form. In the Late Egyptian Period (672-332 BCE), the festivals of Bastet became very popular, honoring the goddess through dance, music, drink, and sacrifice. Many people brought their cats, who had died, to this festival to have them embalmed and buried in sacred receptacles. The original bronze statue was likely used as a votive offering in the temple of Bastet.Made/Created
Date made
600 BCE - 600 BCETime Period
UnknownEthnography
Culture/Tribe
Egyptian