Amulet of Bastet

Description

Elegantly seated on a low base, its tail curled around its left side, this tiny cat, sacred animal of the goddess Bastet, is a sculptural tour de force. The front legs are carved entirely in openwork. The base, an amalgam of the hieroglyphs for "ointment jar" (also used in the writing the name of the goddess Bastet), and "protection" is admirably contoured to the animal's body. On the back is a loop for suspension.

Provenance

Howard Carter (1874-1939), London, England, gifted to his niece, Phyllis Walker (-1939); Phyllis Walker, sold to an English Private Collector (1939-); Sussex Armoury, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art (-1973); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1973-)

Amulet of Bastet

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c. 1069–715 BCE

Accession Number

1973.29

Medium

hematite

Dimensions

Overall: 4.4 x 1.1 x 2.8 cm (1 3/4 x 7/16 x 1 1/8 in.)

Classification

Amulets

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund