Lot 147
Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate to Late Dynastic Period, 21st to 31st Dynasty, ca. 1070 to 332 BCE. A mold-formed and turquoise-glazed faience amulet depicting a seated mother cat with her 6 kittens. upon its haunches with its forelegs bent and resting around her brood, perhaps representing Bastet, the goddess of cats. The regal feline presents atop an integral rectangular plinth with a sloped back, a raised head, and a suspension loop centered along the spine. The cat's countenance bears recessed almond eyes, a furrowed brow, a short snout, and a pair of perky ears. Size: 0.70" L x 0.23" W x 0.94" H (1.8 cm x 0.6 cm x 2.4 cm)
This cat was created to evoke Bastet, the cat goddess who represented fertility and motherhood. Thousands of mummified cats and kittens were given as offerings to Bastet at temples in her honor. Beyond the goddess, cats were honored and protected in Egyptian society. Famously, Herodotus wrote that men would protect cats from fire, and that when a cat died, a household would go into mourning as if a human member of the family had died, shaving their eyebrows to signify their loss. It was immediately before this Late Dynastic Period that worship of Bastet became immensely popular, and her chief center of worship, Bubastis, became a great city, and Herodotus, visiting the city in 450 BCE, described a great festival dedicated to her. A small pendant like this one was probably sold at a temple to a worshipper.
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 45.2.2.
A smaller example from the Third Intermediate Period hammered for $2,629 at Christie's, New York "Ancient Jewelry" auction (sale 1445, December 9, 2004, lot 79)
Provenance: Collection of Dr. W. Benson Harer, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired before 2004
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#182339
- Condition: Loss to mother's left arm with 1 kitten as shown. Small chips, with minor softening to some finer details, and light earthen deposits, otherwise in excellent condition. Great preservation to overall form and glaze pigment.
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| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
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